Separate Ways
by Lady Valisere
Summary: It has been three years since anyone had last seen Lightning. Now that he's strong enough, Hope sets out to look for the woman he loves. Post game fic. This story has risen from the grave with a new chapter.
1. A Promise Made

**Separate Ways**

Val's Note: Hi, guys. =) I plan on this to be my first LightxHope fic that's actually going to be longer than two chapters. I already have the second chapter written and I'll be working on the third more tonight. It's also my first post game fic so I'm really excited about that as well. In regards to the title, it was based on Journey's song "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" which I highly suggest to anyone who hasn't heard it. :)

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There's an old saying about time. How "time heals all wounds". Hope Estheim knew that it was nothing but a lie. Because each and every day, the wound in his heart just grew bigger.

"Morning, Dad," Hope said to his father as he ran downstairs and secured the knee guards around his tall leather boots.

"Morning. Are you doing anything in particular today?" his father asked as he sat on the worn out sofa reading a tatter book.

"I had plans on going to see Sazh and Dajh today. Other than that, there were no specific orders other than the usual repair and guidance," Hope informed him while putting his Calvary issued gun in his holster on his hip.

"You'll be home early tonight though, right?" his father asked and Hope could see the age in his face. His frown lines were more defined and his dirty blond hair was streaked with gray. The loss of his wife and the move to Pulse took a lot out of him.

Hope gave the older man a confused look. Why would there be any reason for him to come home early? It was just another day. Another long day for him to endure before tomorrow comes.

"Today's your eighteenth birthday, Hope," his father said, giving his son a disappointed look.

Hope gave him a small, forced laugh. "Oh. So it is. It's good thing that one of us is keeping track. I'll do my best to be home early. See ya tonight!" Hope exclaimed as he quickly made his way out the door and into the reconstructed village of Paddraean Archaeopolis.

A lot had changed in three years thanks to the hard work of those deciding to live in Paddra. The stone ruins were used to build new houses and shelters for the new inhabitants. Hope worked daily to restore what had been lost. It was long and tedious work but it gave Hope a purpose and often took his mind off the past.

They were making a lot of progress though. A school house had been built for the children, electricity was returned to the main shelters where the village often ate together, and bath houses were created so they wouldn't have to bathe outside anymore. Although it was far from the luxurious life on Cocoon, many people were happy living in Paddra.

He walked out of his own stone house and through the streets busy with people working away at repairs and kids laughing in the streets.

"Hope! Hope!" a young girl with blonde hair called out and ran up to him. "Will you play with us today?" she asked, holding out a ball to him. He smiled at the young child and patted her head.

"Lily, right?" he asked and the girl beamed with delight.

"You remembered my name!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

"Of course I did. I try to remember the names of everyone living here," he said, returning her smile. "I'm sorry but I can't play today," he said and her smile was quickly replaced with a frown.

"Are you working again today?" she asked him, her voice soft and sullen.

"Yes. I'm going to visit Dajh today though. How about I talk to his father about him visiting soon?" Hope asked and the girl nodded enthusiastically.

Because Sazh and Hope both worked in the Calvary, Dajh would oven stay with Hope's father if he wasn't allowed to go with his father on a mission. It worried Sazh at first to be away from his son, but as he became good friends with Hope's father, he knew that Dajh was in good hands.

"I'll see you later, Lily," Hope said and started making his way out of the old cityscape and into the wilderness.

It didn't take Hope very long to reach the top of the Tsubaddran Highlands. The monsters through the Pass of Paddra were pretty well taken care of. The few he did run into were manageable, even without his l'Cie abilities. The only monsters that were giving them trouble were those in the Tsumitran Basin and the Archylte Steepe. Death often took the lives of those who stumbled upon either. Most people stayed in their respective villages unless accompanied by a member for the Calvary or Guardian Corps.

Quite a few people lived on the Tsubaddran Highlands. It was known for its great view of Pulse and the Chocobos that were brought there for transportation and farming assistance. It was also the home of Sazh and Dajh.

Hope walked past multiple wooden cabins and over to a building surrounded by three or so midsized airships. It was the main airport for those needing to visit Paddra and also the place where Hope reported to for orders every few days.

He entered the large building and let the cool air sweep over him. Multipule fans hung from the ceiling so the airport was a popular place for those of Paddra and Tsubaddran to relax and escape the heat for a bit. It was easily the most elaborate building of the two villages and looked almost like a building you'd see on Cocoon. It had large glass windows and was made out of strong metals. Its exterior was painted a bright crimson and its interior had polished wooden floors. Its massive size contrasted severely with the humble cabins surrounding it.

"Hey, Hope!"

"How's it going?"

"You ever gonna get a girl, kid?"

Hope smiled and rolled his eyes. He waved at his fellow men that were lounging in the lobby and continued walking to the main desk. He didn't have the time to talk when he had to be home early.

"Hello, Sergeant Estheim. What can I help you with today?" the receptionist asked behind the desk. Her dark black hair was pulled up in a tight bun and her blue eyes shone brightly at the young man beneath black rimmed glasses.

"Is Captain Katzroy available?" he asked, hoping to see Sazh as soon as possible.

The woman gave a quick nod. "He should be in his office with his son right now. You're free to go back," she said. Hope quickly thanked her and walked past the main desk and down a hallway lined with doors.

It didn't take Hope long to find the familiar wooden door he knew belonged to his friend. He raised his hand and knocked with the back of his knuckles.

"Come in," a familiar voice said and Hope opened the door and stepped into his small office.

"Morning, Sazh," Hope said and took his usual seat in front of the man's worn wooden desk.

"You mean afternoon," he said and waved a hand at his clock that read 2:30 PM. Hope always forgot how long the trip from Paddra to Tsubaddran actually took.

"Yeah. Time sure does fly, doesn't it?" he asked the older man who shook his head.

"Every day feels like an eternity. Can't believe it's already been three whole years…" Sazh remarked, staring at Dajh who was sleeping with his head rested on his chocobo. The chocobo grew to the size of approximately how tall Dajh was when he was six. He still wasn't big enough for the nine year old Dajh to ride, but it would only take another three years or so.

Hope looked around Sazh's bleak office. His desk was worn and the bookshelves around his office had chipping paint. Even the rug Dajh slept on looked tattered and thin. It was hard to believe that this was the office of a captain.

Most of his supplies had come from the remaining supplies that were on Cocoon. Everyday thousands of pounds of material that were salvaged from Cocoon were brought to Pulse. They didn't want to leave any resources behind on the continent that could no longer sustain the population. The factories being built on Pulse were still small and only processed the minimum. Many villages had to produce their own food and build their own shelters.

"I heard about your promotion. Congrats, Sergeant. I know she'd be proud of you," he commented with a gentle smile.

"I know she would be too…" Hope agreed. He sounded anything but pleased. "Have you heard anything about her lately?" he asked, his eyes glinted with a sparkle of hope.

"If I found anything out, you'd be the first to know," Sazh remarked and watched the sparkle fade from his eyes. "I did some asking around though during my last mission. They said that she's still registered with the Guardian Corps, but who knows how old those records are. They're probably just the files they saved from Cocoon."

"Any word from Snow and Serah?" he asked and Sazh shook his head.

"Same ol' same ol'. Snow is busy with the repairs on Oerba and Serah is now teaching kids in the schoolhouse. They're no better off than we are," Sazh informed him and Hope hung his head low.

"It's been far too long…" Hope said and rested his face in his hands. His fingers dug into his hair and gripped it tightly in pain. Hope didn't know how much longer he could take not knowing if she was safe or not. He needed answers.

"Hey, man. You know that I want her to be safe too but maybe it's time you start moving-"

"No!" Hope exclaimed, looking up at Sazh. "She's alive and she's out there somewhere. I can feel it, Sazh. I'm almost ready. I've spent all this time training and I'm finally strong enough to go looking for her myself. I will never move on," he announced and stared the older man down. He knew that Sazh meant well and was only looking out for Hope's wellbeing, but Hope was already lost as it was.

"I'm sorry. It was a bad suggestion. I know you'll never give up. Not when it comes to her, right?" he asked with a sympathetic smile. He stood up from behind his desk and walked over to where Hope sat and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I've lost too much already. I'm not going to give up when there is the chance that she might still be alive somewhere."

Sazh nodded his head. "I understand. I'll be here to support you as much as I can. She was an important person to me too…"

"Is," Hope corrected, not allowing anyone to mention her in the past tense.

"She is an important person to me," Sazh said, redeeming himself with a smile.

Hope looked up at Sazh and smiled at him. Sazh hadn't changed a bit in the last three years. If anything, Hope had never seen the man happier. A safe house, great kid, and lived everyday doing what he loved. Sure, he would never get past the loss of his wife but Dajh made him whole. Hope longed to find the person who would make him whole again, but she had been missing for the past three years.

Hope stood up and looked at Dajh for a second, thankful that he didn't wake the sleeping boy. He walked over to Sazh's door and put his hand on the knob.

"Sorry, but I've got to go. It'll probably be getting dark by the time I get home. I promised my dad I'd be home early," Hope explained.

"Oh? Any reason why?"

Hope smiled. "It's my eighteenth birthday and I completely forgot," he explained with a small, sad laugh.

"Ah. Happy Birthday, Hope," Sazh said, looking at the man in front of him.

"Thanks. Do me a favor and drop by my place this week. The kids want to play with Dajh" Hope said, remembering his promise to Lily, and left the office.

"Dad? Is Hope going to be alright?" Dajh asked Sazh, his young brown eyes full of concern.

Sazh squatted down and patted his son gently on the head.

"I sure do hope so."

Hope walked out of the airport without saying goodbye to anyone else. He stepped out onto the soft grass of the Tsubaddran and walked over to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the Tsumitran. He sat down and looked at the monsters and wilderness below. It reminded him of the first time he came to Pulse with the others. Back then they would be able to take down a Behemoth King with no problem. Hope used to be so much stronger with his magic. Without it, he felt crippled.

He reached his arm around his torso and touched his hard bicep. He was much stronger physically than when he was fourteen. Hours of training for the Calvary did that to a person. He was among some of the strongest soldiers but he still knew that he'd probably never be as strong as Snow. He just didn't have the physique for it.

Hope ran his hand through his thick silver hair and let out a sigh. He has lost his mother, Vanille, Fang, and now her. He lost the one person he thought would always be by his side. His mind wandered back to the last time he saw her and he did his best to choke back the tears. Soldiers didn't cry.

"Have you seen my father? His name is Bartholomew Estheim. I was told that the Calvary was protecting him," the fourteen year old Hope asked a Calvary soldier.

"Oh, that guy. You must be his son. Yeah, we've got him. If you come with me I'll take you to him," the soldier said and Hope's face light up. His father was alright. He was okay. He was alive. "We've got to hurry though. There are other people we need to attend to."

Hope looked back at the others and his eyes locked with hers. She nodded her head and smiled at him, letting him know that it was okay to go with him.

"I'll be back," he informed them and the soldiers started leading him away.

That was the last time he saw her. According to Snow and Serah, she had gone to Oerba with them but left after only three days. She didn't say anything to either of them about leaving. There was no note, no nothing. One night she was there and gone by morning. They suspected that she left to find a way to wake Fang and Vanille, but that was only mere speculation. The reason why she left still remained a mystery.

He stood up and shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He didn't want to think about it. He had to get home to his father before nightfall like he promised. He pulled his gun out of the holster and made his way back to Paddra.

The sun was just starting to set once he arrived at his new home. Most of the village was eating dinner at the main dining hall as it remained one of the few buildings with electricity. He could hear laughter and chatter from all the way at the entrance.

Hope entered his house to find his father sitting in the living room with a cake and a large box in front of him.

"Welcome home, Hope," his father said with a genuine smile.

Hope walked over to the table, looking at the cake and the present in disbelief. It was the first time since they arrived at Pulse that they would be celebrating his birthday. He expected a nicer dinner than usual, sure, but he was surprised to find that his father went all the way to make him a cake and buy him a present.

"Dad…you didn't have to do this for me," he said, knowing completely well that his father couldn't afford to buy him a present. The large majority of people didn't have money due to the shared nature of their new life. All their necessities were shared. Hope couldn't even begin to imagine what was in that box.

"It's your eighteenth birthday. Of course I had to. You're officially a man now," his father said, taking a match and lighting the candles on his cake. "Make sure to wish for something good. This is the most important wish," he said and pushed the cake over to Hope.

Hope sat cross-legged on their cold stone floor and sat in front of the cake. He once told his mom that wishes were for kids when he was fourteen. He now believed that they were worth a shot.

He closed his eyes and the only thing he could see was her. He could see her sweet smile that she reserved for him and her beautiful blue eyes. He could feel her presence with him.

"_Happy Birthday, Hope,"_she whispered to him.

He closed his eyes, wished with all his heart that he would see her once more, and blew out the candles.

_Please…please come true. This is my only wish._

His father went around their living room and lighting candles and lit their fireplace. He opened the door to let some fresh air as the fireplace often made the living room uncomfortably hot. He sat down on the sofa and slid the large box over to Hope.

"Go ahead and open it," he said, coaching his son who couldn't stop staring at the box in front of him.

Hope took the box in his hands and lifted the lid. His eyes widened as the content of the box was revealed to him.

"No way," he whispered as he picked up a sleek black gunblade from out of the box. "How did you get this?" he asked his father, looking up at him in disbelief.

Bartholomew laughed. "It was actually awarded to you upon your promotion. Your superiors felt that it would make an appropriate birthday present though and asked me to give it to you instead. Happy birthday, son," he said and walked around the table to give him a fatherly hug. "You're going to need that when you leave," he said and Hope pulled away from his embrace.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're going to go looking for her soon, aren't you?" he asked and Hope's eyes grew in shock.

"How did you know?" he asked, looking down at the cold gunblade in his hands.

"She's the whole reason you joined the Calvary, right? I've been waiting for the day when you leave to go look for her yourself. Please, don't let me hold you back. I'll be fine here. Just promise me you'll come back safely," his father pleaded, his eyes looking sad and tired.

"I'm sorry I have to leave you again, Dad," he apologized. He truly felt guilty about having to leave him alone. Despite his guilt, he knew that this was something he had to do. He promised to protect her and sitting around at home while she was alone was not doing what he promised.

"It's alright. You're doing it for the woman you love, after all," Bartholomew said and placed a hand on Hope's shoulder.

"Right," Hope said with a large smile on his face. "I'll make sure to find her and bring her back."

"I'm proud of you," his father said and released his grip on Hope's shoulder. "I'm going to go to sleep now. Make sure you take the holster for you gunblade out of the box too. It'll come in handy. Night, Hope."

"Night, Dad."

His father departed up the stairs and Hope took the holster out of the box. He slung it across his back and went outside. He walked past the reconstructed buildings and found the ruins they hadn't reached yet. He sat down and leaned against a crumbling white pillar. He pulled the gunblade out the holster and opened the blade. He couldn't believe how light it felt in his hands.

"I guess it's not too heavy for me now, is it, Light?" he asked, recalling a distant memory. Hope looked up towards the night sky. "I know you're out there somewhere. I promise that I'll find you and bring you home."

With a promise made, Hope went home to rest before he set off to find his Light.

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AN: Long chapter is long. I'm hoping you guys enjoyed it and it didn't seem too far-fetched. I read through it a few times and my beta did too but we both tend to miss things. I pray there weren't too many mistakes, as always. This story is loosely based on what happens in Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i- as well. Only this is what would happen if they hired me to write it, which they obviously didn't.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Feel free to review with any comments. You guys have no idea how much I enjoy reading them. :)


	2. The Black Ocean

Chapter 2

**The Black Ocean**

Val's Note: I just want to say thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the first chapter and favorited the story. The favorites surprised me a lot since it was only on the chapter, but I was pleasantly surprised! Here's chapter two. I hope you enjoy!

Lightning Farron slipped her sore feet into the cool river beside the unknown village next to her. It had been five months without any human interaction of the sort; so she was relieved when she miraculously discovered the little village. She was even more thankful that they were such a hospitable group.

It was a week ago that she stumbled into the village. The sun was shining brightly as she tried her hardest to approach the people in the distance. She was clutching her arm—which she was pretty sure was broken in more than once place— tightly and she could barely walk due to a badly sprained ankle. Fresh blood was dripping down her face as the cut on her forehead reopened. Her clothes were dirty and badly ragged. It was the worst physical state she had been in while traveling.

"Water! Quickly! Get me some water and bandages!" a woman cried out as she saw the state Lightning was in.

Lighting could feel herself nearing the breaking point. The world around her was spinning and it took everything out of her just to take another step forward. Her conscious was slipping farther and farther away. The people running towards her and the village behind them were losing their color until everything finally turned black.

She couldn't remember much after that. All she could remember was standing next to a large black ocean with monstrous black waves. The waves were nothing likes those on Bodhum or Oerba. They were desperate waves that didn't know which way to go. As a result, they kept colliding into each other, creating loud claps of thunder in the process.

Lightning crouched down on the black sand and buried her face in her hands. She didn't want to look at the intimidating waves. What am I doing? Why am I still searching for what can't be found? What am I even searching for? I'm lost. I don't know where to go. I'm sorry I failed you, Vanille, Fang. I tried.

_Go home, Lightning._

Her eyes slowly opened and looked around for the source of the sweet voice that had told her to go home.

"Vanille?" she softly whispered and felt something wet on her forehead.

"Shh shhh," an older woman hushed as she patted down the edges of a wet cloth on Lightning's forehead. "Your body is under a lot of strain right now. You must rest," the woman told her and Lightning nodded as much as her stiff neck would allow.

"Were you having a nightmare? You were shaking a lot," she asked and pulled a chair up next to the cot Lightning rested in.

"Something like that," Lightning shortly remarked and looked around the house she was in. It was a simple wooden cottage with a fireplace. Elaborate beads and feathers hung from the ceilings. Animal furs lined the floor and the blanket she rested under was made of similar fur.

She examined the old face of the woman, estimating that she'd be somewhere in her late fifties. Her thick white hair was down past her shoulders and her skin had a natural tan. She had beautiful emerald eyes and a kind smile.

Lightning couldn't help but be reminded of Fang as she looked at her. She wore a similar, although more modest, wrap around the same color as Fang's. The familiarity of the woman brought comfort to Lightning. For some reason, she felt that she could trust her. It surprised Lightning considering that it typically too some time to gain her trust. Something about the woman just felt right to her though.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Lightning asked, desperately wanting to know.

"My name is Aaina and you're in the village of Yampeir," she said and gently took Lightning's arm. "Still swollen. You really did a number to it," she said placed it back beside her.

"Yampeir…I've never heard of such a village…" Lightning mused. After traveling Pulse for three years, it was rare for her to see people out so far in the wilderness.

Lightning had been extremely lost before she arrived there. She spent most of her nights sleeping in caves and foraged for food during the day. She could tell that the people from Cocoon had not reached that part of Pulse yet. She didn't even see one plane that frequently flew the skies of Pulse now.

"I'm not surprised," Aaina said with a heartwarming laugh. "It's probably the only Pulsian settlement around," she explained and Lightning's eyes grew in surprise.

"Pulsian settlement?" she repeated, not sure if she heard the older woman correctly.

"That's correct. Have you heard of the War of Transgression that took place over 500 years ago?" the woman asked and Lightning nodded. "Well…" she started and then looked at Lightning's expectant face. "I don't know if I should be telling you this..."

"Please," Lightning quickly interjected, her eyes pleading. "I need to know. Any information about Pulse could possibly help me." Aaina gave Lightning a curious look for a moment, but closed her eyes and smiled.

"The people in this village used to live near Sulyya Springs. The fal'Cie Bismarck always protected us and the springs. It was our home until one day we were transformed into l'Cie with a purpose to destroy Cocoon. It was horrible," she admitted and looked down at the palms of her hands. "We were all branded, even the children. All one hundred and forty were expected to participate in the war." She stopped let out a soft sigh.

"How are you still alive?" Lightning wondered aloud and Aaina gave her a strict glance.

"I'm getting to that, child. See, our people refused to fight in the war and traveled as far away as we could. Many died on the way, cutting our numbers down to eighty. Our bands grew and we awaited our ultimate fate as Cie'th. In our last days, we were prepared to turn into Cie'th but were turned into crystals instead. We woke three years ago to find that our brands were gone and the people of Cocoon saved. We believe the reason we were spared was because we defied our focus and the Goddess took pity on us," she explained and Lightning couldn't believe she was meeting someone who lived while Vanille and Fang were alive. She even had a similar accent.

"I'm looking for a way to save the Pulse l'Cie that saved Cocoon. They sacrificed themselves to save the people. I believe that they're still with me in spirit," Lightning commented weakly as the room around her started to spin again.

The woman took her hand. "Perhaps they'll wake up one day. I'm sure it'll happen when the time is right. I'm sorry I can't be of more help," she said and released her hand. She took the cloth off of her forehead, dipped it in the bowl of water next to her, and placed it back on. "Try to get some rest," she said and left the room.

It was a week later that Lightning started feeling well enough to stand as much as she could. The people of Yampeir lent her a wooden crutch that she used to keep as much pressure off of her ankle and her arm was bounded in a sling of animal skin. They gave her a new dark brown shirt and an off-white top which wrapped around her chest and exposed her midriff. They adorned her neck with beautiful beads and her good arm with bracelets as a symbol of their acceptance. It didn't take long for her dress to resemble something out of Vanille's clan.

"How are you feeling today?"

Lightning turned around to see a tall man in his early thirties behind her. He had dark wavy brown hair and a very masculine square face. His muscular arms were scarred in many places, possibly due to all the hunting he did. He wore pants made of leather and a similar jacket which was decorated with feathers. He had the same emerald eyes and tan skin as Aaina, which made sense considering he was her son.

"I'm alright," she said and immersed her foot deeper into the water. The cool water helped with the pain.

He sat down next to her. She paid no attention to it. Her mind was far away.

"What do you plan on doing after you heal up?" he asked and she shrugged.

"Leave," she responded bluntly. Despite living in the same village with him, she didn't know him well. All she knew what that his name was Kobi and he frequently visited his mother who she was staying with. As a result, she saw him a lot but didn't actually know him.

"Anyway I can convince you to stay? The people here have really taken to you," he commented and she shook her head.

"I have people I need to get back to. I've made them worry for far too long," she said and kept her eyes fixated on the clear water in front of her. He reached out to pat her on the back and she flinched, making him draw his hand back.

"You really are quite a mystery. What kind of past do you have?" he asked and her eyes fell.

"Probably one you could relate well to. You too were a l'Cie, after all," she said and didn't bother looking at the shocked expression on his face. She knew it was there just by his silence.

She grabbed her crutch with her left arm and started limping away from him to find a more secluded area. He called out her name but she ignored him. She wanted to be alone.

Lightning found a large shady tree just outside of the village which she leaned against. She hated being so weak and she hated the megistotherian that inflicted these wounds upon her. It took all her strength just to escape from the wretched creature.

She tilted her head up and looked up towards Cocoon. She couldn't help but remember Vanille's words. Vanille wanted her to go home. She wanted Lightning to give up and live her life happily. Lightning had a feeling that her suffering was causing them pain. The last thing she wanted to do was to give up and forget about her crystallized friends. She knew that she had to rethink this frivolous journey of hers.

The whole reason Lightning had left Oerba was to look for a way to save Vanille and Fang. She searched ruin after ruin looking for a way to reunite with her two friends. She even taught herself the Pulsian alphabet. Nothing that she read had anything to do with how to save them from crystal stasis.

Lightning buried her face in her hands, feeling like a complete and utter fool. She spent three years searching only to come up with nothing. She could only imagine how worried Snow and Serah were. It was cruel of her to leave Serah after only being reunited with her. She just didn't think that it would take this long to find the answers she was searching for.

She had a feeling that Snow and Serah weren't the only two worried about her. Sazh was probably concerned too. Lightning missed all of them so much and longed to see their smiling faces again.

She closed her eyes and there he was again, standing before her with his silver hair and green scarf. He was smiling up at her, his face light with innocence.

"Hope," she whispered softly and brought her knees up close to her chest.

Lightning found herself missing Hope as badly as she missed Serah. It was always one of the two haunting her. On occasion she even missed Snow, but it wasn't as frequent as her longing for Hope and Serah.

Today was a special day for Hope. It marked his eighteenth birthday. The only way Lightning knew was because of the calendar inside Aaina's house. It had been months since Lightning had seen one. She was thankful that she wasn't going to miss his birthday again.

She wondered what he was like. Hope was no longer the fourteen year old boy she knew. He wasn't the boy that kept popping up in her head. He was now a grown man. What was he doing with his life? Where did he live? How was his father? Was he happy? Did he have a girlfriend?

She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. She didn't want to think about Hope with another woman. It was far too strange for her to even fathom it.

What Lightning wondered more than anything is if he ever thought of her. She wondered if he missed her or if he was even worried about her. She often scolded herself for thinking about such ridiculous matters. She couldn't deny the fact that she thought about him almost every day though. It was strange to her, but thinking about him brought her a glimmer of hope and a feeling of reassurance.

The sun was beginning to set and the horizon burned a bright orange. A light breeze swept through her pink hair and she could smell the flowers blooming in the field nearby.

"Happy Birthday, Hope," she whispered, hoping that her words would reach him.

As soon as she was healed, she planned on making her way back to Oerba. She didn't know which direction Oerba was but she knew that she'd find her way back home; to Snow, to Sazh, to Serah, and to Hope.

End Note: Alrighty then! Yay for the inclusion of original characters? I actually had a lot of fun with this chapter. I had to do an annoying amount of research when it came to Aaina's back story. I really liked the idea of Pulsians actually living on Pulse. Then there was the whole issue with their names. I wanted to give Aaina and Kobi unique names but names that I felt fit the norms of Pulse five hundred years ago. I'm always hesitant about putting my own characters into my fanfics. This one just happens to call for it though. Hopefully it's not a turn off. :)

Any comments you have are always greatly appreciated! They also make me write faster. Witness the power of the comments.


	3. I'll Never Forget

Chapter Three

**I'll Never Forget**

Val's Note: Yay for chapter three! We're back to Hope's POV. Hopefully the changes don't bother you guys. I like getting different perspectives from my characters and I wanted to explain what was happening with Lightning. It also makes writing longer stories a whole lot more fun for me since I get to play around with the minds of different characters. :)

**This chapter has now been beta read. =D Yay~**

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The sun was shining brightly and the air was significantly cooler when Hope woke up that morning. The solar clock on his nightstand informed him that it was 7:30 AM.

He rolled out of bed, his feet touching the cold stone floor of his bedroom. He walked into the hall and peered into his father's room to see that he was still asleep.

He walked back to his room and pulled out dark green cargo pants and a black t-shirt. Hope wasn't very fashionable to begin with so he stuck with what he knew. He outgrew his orange and yellow jacket quickly but was able to find similar shirts and pants that fit him.

Hope grabbed a towel from the hallway closet, went downstairs, and left his house.

The little town was quiet that morning. Most children were still sleeping in as well as the majority of the adults due to it being the weekend. The few people that were out were working away on the never ceasing repairs. The work ethic of the people of Paddra always amazed him. They were so devoted to creating a superior life for their families. For a second, Hope didn't want to leave. The feeling only lasted a second though. Hope knew he had a much more personal task ahead of him.

Hope stepped into the men's bathhouse to find it deserted, which he was grateful for. Sure, he had gotten used to showering with others; they had no choice. Still, he liked to have his privacy.

The white stone which composed the bathhouse was cold on his bare feet. He quickly tossed his towel on the floor, stripped off his clothing, and stepped in front of one of the showers. He turned the faucet on and shivered under the cold water. It took his body a few minutes to adjust before it became comfortable.

The cold water raced down his fair skin and drenched his silver locks. The water was typically enough to clear Hope's mind but it was racing with questions and concerns. How long would it take to find her? He wasn't even sure where he would start looking. He figured he would pay Serah and Snow a visit in Oerba. It made sense to him to start his journey where she started hers. After that though, he was clueless.

The sound of the running water was starting to annoy him so he ended his shower earlier than he usually did. He picked up his towel, wrapped it around his waist, and walked over to the only full length mirror in the bathhouse.

Hope stared at his reflection, his reflection staring back. It was amazing how much he had changed in four years. He was no longer the short and scrawny boy of his past. His muscles were toned and well defined due to the heavy labor and training he did for the Calvary. He stood around 5'8, a height he was satisfied with. His layered silver hair remained the same as well as his blue-green eyes. Everything about him gave off a much more mature aura. The childhood innocence had been erased from his eyes long ago.

He had changed on the outside, but on the inside as well. The past years took a toll on him. While he did his best to be optimistic and hardworking for the others, he battled an internal war every day. The constant uncertainty of not knowing her whereabouts or how she was doing ate away at him. He could clearly remember the day he got the news that she was missing.

* * *

It was a week after they had separated. Hope and his father were living in a temporary tent on the Tsubaddran Highlands with other Calvary solders. They wanted to make sure that they were protected until the public found out that they weren't a threat.

Hope was thrilled to be reunited with his father. He would relay the events of their journey to his father who was amazed by what had happened. He would talk in great depths about everyone. He'd talk the most about Lightning though, and his father took notice.

"You wouldn't have feelings for this Lightning girl, now would you?" his father teased as they sat together in the grassy plains of the highlands.

"Dad! What are you talking about? Of course I don't!" He was quick to deny it and his father chuckled at his son's obvious lie.

"When are you going to see them again?" he asked and Hope's face fell.

"I'm not sure…I was going to tell them where we were going but the solders wouldn't let me go back. I hope I'll see them again soon," he mused and leaned back onto the soft grass. "They are all really special to me. We're family."

"Hope!"

He shot up and looked around for the familiar voice that called out his name. All he could see were Calvary solders bustling about the Tsubaddran. Suddenly, his eyes locked on the familiar afro and green coat of his good friend.

"Sazh!" the young boy exclaimed and ran up to greet him. They met in the middle of the field. Hope smiled up at the man. He was so relieved to see him. He was afraid that it would be months before he heard from any of his friends.

"Hey, Hope," he said, forcing a smile.

He couldn't tell what was wrong. Sazh looked extremely tired with bags underneath his dull brown eyes. Something was off about the man. The two of them should have been happy about reuniting but that obviously wasn't the case. There was something more to this meeting and Hope felt apprehension rush over him.

"What's wrong?" he stated bluntly as he stared up at him. Sazh dropped his gaze, unable to look at the boy in front of him.

"There is something important I need to tell you, Hope," he said weakly and Hope could feel his heart rate quicken. The blood was pumping through his veins and the longer Sazh was silent, the more panicked Hope became.

"Tell me. Please, tell me what's wrong!" he exclaimed, causing a few Calvary solders to stop and look towards their way.

Sazh remained silent for another minute, searching for the words. "It's about Lightning. She's been missing for a few days now and no one has heard from her. There was no note, no nothing. She's just…gone," he stated. His eyes were wide as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth.

"No…" Hope muttered weakly. He looked at his trembling hands and clenched them closed. This couldn't be happening to him. He had already lost his mother, Vanille, and Fang. He would not lose her too.

"We've got to look for her!" he demanded and started sprinting away only to be stopped by Sazh grabbing onto his arm. "Let go!" he shouted at the man who only tightened his grip.

"There's no point, Hope! We don't have a clue where she went. There's no way you would be able to survive on your own out the-"

"Then come with me!" he cried as he tried to pull away from Sazh.

"I can't. I have Dajh to look after. I can't leave him now. I'm…so sorry," he said and let go of Hope who fell to the ground on his hands and knees.

"No…this can't be." His body shook uncontrollably and tears welled up in his eyes. "She can't be gone. She just can't!" he shouted, the tears now streaming down his cheeks. "I've got to find her. I've got to do something!" he wailed and tried his hardest to get up off the ground only to fall down once more.

"There isn't anything we can do. All we can do is hope that she'll come back…" Sazh said in defeat.

"What about the Calvary or the Guardian Corps? What about them! Isn't it their job to look for missing people!" he asked, anguish resonating through his voice as desperation overtook him.

Sazh slowly shook his head. "We reported her missing but because so many people are disappearing due to monster attacks, they're focused on keeping the present ones safe."

"I'll find her. As soon as I'm strong enough I will find her," he vowed as he wiped the tears off his red face with the back of his hand. "I'll do whatever it takes."

Sazh looked upon the boy with sympathy in his eyes. He knelt down next to him and placed a hand on his back.

"Never forget that promise, Hope," he said and Hope was instantly reminded of the promise he made to her back in Palumpolum. He promised to keep her safe and he had failed her. He had to make things right.

"I'll never forget…" he whispered as a single tear fell from his eye.

* * *

Hope turned away from the mirror and dried off with his towel. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about the past when he was finally about to do something about it.

He put on his clothes, grabbed his damp towel, and went back to his house. He opened his door to find his father standing by the door, looking really anxious.

"Dad…what is it?" Hope asked as he shut the door behind him. He threw his towel on the sofa and directed his attention back towards his father.

"You're leaving today. I can't help but be a little worried about you," he admitted and adjusted his glasses. "I'm just proud of you, Hope," he said and wrapped his arms around him. "I know your mother would be proud too. You're so brave…just like her," he said and released him.

"I'm going to be alright, Dad. I'm going to go upstairs and get ready," he told him and ran up the stairs. Hope was already having a hard enough time leaving as it was. He didn't want to see his father so worried.

It didn't take Hope very long get ready for his departure. He quickly pulled on his knee high leather boots and secured the steel knee guards. He slipped his torso harness made of leather around his head and adjusted the straps. The green pauldrons fell perfectly onto his shoulders. The two yellow stripes placed on them signified his newly appointed role as sergeant. He buckled the belt of the harness and slipped on his black gloves. He then secured his gunblade in its harness on his back. Finally, he took his green scarf off his bed and tied it around his neck.

His attire was the new standard for both the Calvary and Guardian Corps. The old uniforms of the Calvary were too impractical for Gran Pulse and they didn't have enough to give to the new recruits. As a result, all Calvary and Guardian Corps members wore the same uniform. It didn't matter to either of them. The Calvary was always a division of the Guardian Corps. The main difference between the two was that the Calvary dealt with airships and transportation.

Hope returned downstairs to see his father waiting for him. Bartholomew stood up and walked over to the front door. He opened the door for Hope and smiled at him.

"Time for you to go," he said and nodded his head. There was no need for a goodbye speech or tears. Everything that needed to be said was already spoken. It was time for the both of them to move forward.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, Dad," Hope reassured him as he walked to the door.

"I have faith in you. Just promise me you'll return safely." Hope could see how worried his father was but the man did his best to hide it with a proud smile.

"I promise," Hope told him, his voice strong and definite.

Hope turned his back on his father and walked out the door into another bright and warm day on Gran Pulse. It was just like any other day; kids out playing, men working on repairs, women chatting in front of their homes. It was a normal day for everyone but Hope. He was about to go off into the unknown to find someone who was extremely precious to him. He turned around, taking one final glance at his home.

"I'll be back," he softly whispered at the white towers and people going about their business, completely unaware of the expedition he had before him.

He faced forward and walked out of Paddra, unsure of when he would return.

"Took you long enough," Sazh teased as Hope arrived at the highlands. "What took ya so long?" he asked and ruffled Hope's hair.

The air was cooler at the top of the highlands. People were out and about just like in Paddra. Many were tending to their gardens and taking care of their children. It was the perfect place for Sazh to raise Dajh. The chocobos wandering about made it even better.

"Sorry. Just saying goodbye to my Dad. Was my mission application approved?" Hope asked.

As a newly appointed sergeant, he wasn't allowed to get up and leave without requesting it from his superiors. A week ago, he filled out a document requesting leave so he would be able to search for Sergeant Lightning Farron.

"All approved. Everything is arranged for your departure," he informed Hope with a large smile. "I see your father gave you your new toy," he commented, eyeing the gunblade on Hope's back. Hope reached behind his back and pulled it out. With a jerk of his wrist, the gun opened to reveal the blade.

Sazh whistled low, clearly impressed. "Looks like you already know how to use it well, huh?"

Hope nodded. "They trained us a few weeks ago before I was promoted. Only a few people received them though," he said and looked down at his sleek black gunblade. He gently ran his fingers over the dull part of the blade. "That and I had the opportunity to watch her use it and study her technique."

"You were always watchin' the girl. No denyin' that," Sazh said with a small chuckle. Hope looked up from his blade and smiled at him. He couldn't deny it himself.

Hope peered behind Sazh and noticed a large bag behind him.

"What's that?" Hope asked and Sazh turned around and picked up the bag.

"Oh, this?" he asked rhetorically and held the bag with two hands. "This is your survival bag. It has blankets, food, medicine, water, some clothes, a partially completed map, matches, and Gysahl Greens."

Hope stared at Sazh with a raised brow. "Gysahl Greens? You mean chocobo treats? Why would I need those?" he asked, knowing only too well that he would not be eating them.

"What, were you planning on walking? That'd take years. You'll be borrowing one of the chocobos," Sazh told him, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Hope honestly hadn't taken transportation into much consideration. He figured he'd be traveling by foot, just as she had. As he thought about it, he realized taking a chocobo would make much more sense. They were extremely fast and powerful. They could run for hours without tiring. He could make it or Oerba in a day with a chocobo instead of the five days it would take walking. This was a good plan.

Sazh deposited the heavy bag in Hope's hands. He struggled to hold onto it. The bag weighed well over a hundred pounds and he wondered how he was going to carry it.

"Here you go," Sazh said as he led a large chocobo over. The chocobo stared at Hope with two shiny black eyes. It ruffled its feathers and shook its head back and forth. "This is Quincy. He's the fastest chocobo we have. He'll get you where you need to go in no time," Sazh said as he gently stroked the neck of the large bird.

"Quincy? What kind of name is that for a chocobo?" Hope asked as he eyed the bird. The bird stared back and lunged forward to snap his beak at Hope.

"Easy there." Sazh reached out and rubbed Quincy's back to pacify him. "Don't make a bad impression on him on your first day, Hope. You two will be doing a lot of traveling together. Do your best to get along," he advised and took the bag from Hope. "This bag was made for chocobo transportation. You set it in front of his hump and clip it to the front of his chest with these two straps," he said and demonstrated for Hope how it was done. "Then you take the back straps which go under his wing and secure it around his back." He walked around the back and secured the straps tightly around the bird. "This will keep your bag secure while you run."

"Thanks. Seems simple enough," Hope said and tugged on the bag to see how secure it was. It wouldn't budge.

"Do you remember how to ride one?" Sazh asked.

"I think so…" Hope said and climbed on top of the bird. He situated himself right behind the hump on its back and grabbed onto the tufts of feathers in front of it. Hope could see the bird looking back and eying him critically.

Hope gently pulled his feathers forward. "Let's move!" he demanded of the bird. Quincy completely ignored him and continued to stare. "Come on, Quincy," he said as he tried to coerce him to move forward. He gave his feathers a forceful tug and Quincy reached his head around and snapped at Hope's hand. He quickly pulled his hand away and released the feathers.

"Why don't you try asking him nicely?" Sazh suggested with a smirk on his face. There was no hiding his amusement over Hope's struggle.

"The bird obviously doesn't like me," Hope admitted, feeling frustrated. "Can't I take another one? A calmer bird? How about the one over there?" he asked and pointed in the direction of a bird sleeping peacefully in the lawn. "That one doesn't look like it wants to tear me to bits."

"It's asleep. Of course it doesn't. I'm sure if you respect Quin, he'll respect you. He's your best option at this point. You'll just have to work with him," Sazh said and walked in front of the bird. "Hey, Quincy." He patted the bird's neck and lowered his voice. "The guy you have on your back? He's a bit of a brat sometimes. It'd really help me out if you could put up with him though. He has something really important to do so if you could just help 'em out a bit, I'd sure appreciate it," Sazh said in a low whisper. To Hope's surprise, the bird closed his eyes and nodded his head.

Hope gently grabbed the feathers once more and pulled forward. Quincy steadily walked forward with no resistance.

"You're amazing, Sazh!" Hope exclaimed in excitement as he lead Quincy around the grassy village.

"It was nothing. Just treat him with respect and I'm sure he'll do the same for you," Sazh told him with a distant look in his eye. "Hey, Hope."

"Yeah, Sazh?"

"Be safe," he said and Hope nodded his head. "Oh, and one more thing."

"What is it?" Hope asked. He knew this was hard on Sazh as well. Sazh had become something of an older brother to him and a best friend. He had no doubts that he was worried.

"Bring her home," he said with a gentle smile on his face.

"I will," Hope promised, his eyes glistening with determination. He gently tugged on Quincy's feathers. He steered the bird towards the exit of the highlands and to the long path that would lead him to the Archylte Steppe and then Oerba.

This was the start of his journey.

* * *

AN: Sorry about the delay on this chapter. Life got super busy all of a sudden but I'm hoping that things have calmed down now. Chapter four should be out in a few days.

Any comments are always loved. Especially since I plan on this being one of my longer fics. Comments are always a great source encouragement for me. :)

Thanks for reading! :3


	4. A Good Feeling

Chapter Four

**A Good Feeling**

The evening sea was gentle before her. The cool water swirled around her bare feet as the waves hit the archaic stairs. The sky was tinted a beautiful orange as it slowly lowered towards the horizon. She gazed at the gray mountains and spinning windmills in the distance. Despite its beauty, she shivered. She could feel the spirits of those who stood in the very same spot as her and it chilled her to the bone. The sight was breathtakingly astounding, but eternally tragic. The chill of the water never faded, even under the sunlight and warm air.

For the past three years, she and Snow lived as peacefully as they could in Oerba. Serah didn't want to live anywhere else. Snow had suggested that they live somewhere a bit less melancholic, but Serah refused. She felt connected to Vanille in Oerba. Every day was easier to go through with the presence of her old friend. Even if she had only known Vanille for a little while, she felt a strong connection with her. If there was anything that Serah could do for Vanille now, she wanted to restore her home to the beautiful place it once was.

Serah looked around at the few flowers blooming around her. They were making progress. They had the constant support of the people who lived there and the NORA members who moved there as well. Each day they worked at removing as much dust as they could so flowers could grow once more. Green grass could be seen in some areas around the village. It gave Serah hope, even if they did still have a long way to go.

What gave Serah even more hope was the children she taught. It was always her dream to be a teacher and now that she was one, it brought her some happiness. One of the first things they did in Oerba was repair the old school house. She knew that educating the children about what happened and restoring such a familiar aspect of their old lives would give them a sense of reassurance.

Everyone did their best at keeping Serah busy. They tried to make her laugh as much as they could. The night before, they all sat around a fire in the center of the village and told stories. Serah smiled as she thought of their laughing faces illuminated by the firelight. Still, she knew they were all worried about her. They didn't want her thinking too much about what had happened, even three years later…

"Serah!"

She turned around, recognizing the call of her loud fiancé. He stood at the top of the stairs with a huge smile on his comical face. He ran down the stairs and wrapped his large arms around her, forcing her to take a few more steps into the cool water in front of her.

"What is it, Snow?" she asked with a small giggle. She looked down at his arms wrapped around her torso and placed her arms on top of his. Serah always loved how protected Snow made her feel. She was truly grateful for everything he did for her.

"Nothing. I just didn't like the look on your face while you were staring at the ocean. It made me sad just looking at you," he admitted and gently kissed her neck. "What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, same old same old," she responded nonchalantly. It always was the same. Serah couldn't go a day without thinking of her sister. She had already lost her once, now she had lost to her again.

Snow tightened his grip around her. "I miss her too, Serah," he admitted in a whisper.

Serah focused her eyes on the sea in front of her. This conversation was getting old. She was so tired of being sad. She wanted nothing more than to be happy with Snow. Sure, she was happy with him, but a part of her was missing. Her missing piece was with Claire.

Serah knew that Claire was still alive. She wasn't sure how she knew, exactly. She figured that it probably had to do with the fact that she spent so much time watching them from afar while she was crystallized. Either way, Serah knew she was still alive. She had no doubts.

"I feel like…something might just happen." Serah pulled out of his embrace and turned around to face him.

"Something like what?" he asked, clearly confused.

"If I knew, I'd tell you," Serah responded with a small smile. "It's just a feeling."

"A good one or a bad one?"

"Good," she quickly answered. She was sure of it. Something was coming.

"Snow! Come quick!"

They spun around simultaneously to see Yuj at the top of the stairs. His face was flushed as if he had been running with all his might. He was breathing very heavily.

"What is it, Yuj? What's wrong?" Snow asked, his voice coated with concern and authority.

"Nothing! It's Hope! He's here!"

Without another word, Snow ran up the stairs with Serah in pursuit.

"This is the beginning," Serah softly whispered as she ran after her fiancé to greet her friend.

Hope had just arrived at the center of the village with a chocobo carrying a large bag when Snow set his eyes on him. He ran over to his friend and wrapped his arm around him.

"Man have you grown, kid," he said with a smile and released him. "What are you doing here? And with a chocobo on top of that," he asked curiously, eyeing the large bird who stared right back at him.

"Mommy, look! Look at the chocobo!" a young boy exclaimed, pulling his mother by the hand and pointing at the bird. Quite a few of the children of Oerba were gathering to stare at the large Pulsian chocobo. There weren't any in Oerba so this was quite the spectacle for them.

"What, I'm not allowed to visit my two friends?" Hope teased and Snow didn't believe that was the whole reason. Sure, Snow wasn't the brightest of people, but Hope wasn't exactly the best liar ever. There was more to his visit.

"You could have just had Sazh bring you by plane like he did last year. It would have been much safer. I can't believe you crossed the Steppe on your own. How'd you do it, man?" he asked, staring at the boy in front of him. He was in one piece, but he looked tired. He knew that the trip would have taken Hope a day if he didn't sleep. By the looks of it, he hadn't.

"Chocobos. Thankfully, they run fast," Hope quickly answered and diverted his attention to Serah who appeared behind now.

"Hope!" she exclaimed and wrapped her arms around him in a friendly hug. "It's so good to see you! Come inside. You look so tired," she said and waved her hand towards her so he would follow.

"Excuse me? Mister? Can we play with your chocobo?" a small girl with dark brown hair and large eyes bashfully asked Hope.

"Sure you can. Just make sure not to pull at his feathers. He won't like that very much," Hope responded with a smile.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed and the village children all rushed up to pet the large bird. It surprised Snow that it didn't run away. He figured that wherever the bird came from, it was used to children. It sat down and let the children climb their way on top of it while it rested his head down on the ground, clearly just as tired as its rider.

They followed Serah into the home that once belonged to Vanille and Fang. Snow remembered how hard they worked at repairing it. Even though it was far from perfect, they had fixed most of the appliances and cleaned the place up nicely. It had one of the few working stoves in the village so most people came to their house for dinner.

Snow took a seat on the yellow sofa and Hope sat down next to him. Snow watched as Hope took the old picture of Fang and Vanille off the table and closely inspected it. His eyebrows furrowed and the corners of his mouth dropped. Snow gently patted the boy's back as Hope placed the picture back on the table.

"I'm going to start preparing dinner," Serah told them as she pulled out what appeared to be a large fish from out of the refrigerator.

Hope rubbed his hand over his stomach. "I can't wait. I'm starving."

"How was your trip?" Snow asked Hope with expectant eyes. It wasn't that he wasn't happy that his friend was here. He was thrilled to see Hope. He just wanted to know why. If he was here just to visit, he would have brought Sazh along as well.

Hope shrugged. "It was fine. We ran into a few soldiers on the steppe. They helped guide Quincy and I through the steppe. After that it was pretty smooth sailing. Just a long trip is all," he said and ran his fingers through his silver hair.

"_Quincy_. Is that the name of your Chocobo?" Snow asked, baffled by the name. What kind of name was Quincy for a chocobo?

"I know! It's strange, isn't it?" Hope's eyes lit up. It was all too obvious that he was happy to find that Snow shared his views.

"I think it's a nice name. Sounds very regal," Serah commented and she continued to remove to bones from the fish.

"For a bird though? Wouldn't something like Fluffy or Buttercup fit better?"

"Nope," Serah stated abruptly, ending the discussion over the chocobo's unusual name.

Serah brought them two glasses of water and placed them on the table in front of them. Hope eagerly grabbed his and gulped the water down. Hope was never one to ask for the things he wanted. Even if he was thirsty, he was far too humble to ask. Snow had once offered him some soda while they were on his journey and he refused. Then again, he probably didn't want to be indebted to the man who failed to protect his mother.

Snow looked down at the cool cup of water in his hands. Shame rushed over him. What was he doing? He promised his mother that he'd look after Hope. Sure, he had reunited him with his father, but that wasn't enough. He needed to be there for Hope like he once was. Once-a-year visits weren't cutting it. Hope was like a little brother to him. The very least he could do was take the incentive to be a part of his life again.

Snow glanced over at Hope. He was no longer the scrawny fourteen year old he had once known. His silver hair was the same, but his eyes were far off and distant. Snow knew that Lightning leaving had been hard on him, but Snow had a feeling that it impacted him more than he knew. Snow had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. All he could do was hope that Serah's hunch was right; they didn't need any more bad news.

"Stop keeping Hope all to yourself, Snow. Did you ever think that we'd like to see him too?" Yuj said as he entered the metal home with Maqui behind him.

"Yeah, Snow! Let us borrow him for a bit!" Maqui piped in with his hand on his hips.

"It's been so long. We want to show you around Oerba. It's even better than the last time you visited!"

Hope turned to Snow. "Mind if I go with them for a bit?"

"Sure thing. No need to ask me. Go have fun," he said and ushered Hope off with a wave of his hand. The boy nodded and followed Yuj and Maqui out the door.

Snow was silent as he watched Serah prepare the fish for dinner. She was wrapping the pieces of fish in foil and placing them on a pan. Snow admired how hard she worked to feed everyone. They weren't the only ones with a kitchen, but many people came to their house for her excellent cooking. Even with limited resources, she was an amazing chef.

"So…" Snow started, breaking the silence. "What do you think brings Hope here?" he asked his fiancé, raising his arms above his head and leaning back into the sofa.

Serah laughed softly. "What do _you_ think he's doing here?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking. It doesn't seem right for him to visit without Sazh. And did you see the bag he had with him? It was huge! These things just don't add up right," Snow contemplated aloud. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand. "Do you think he wants to move here?" Snow asked, suddenly enthralled by the idea.

"I don't think that's it," Serah said, quickly dismissing the idea while she slid the fish into the oven and set the timer. "I don't think Hope is planning on staying. He wouldn't leave his father behind like that." She walked over and sat next to Snow.

"What could it be then?"

"I…I think he's going to look for Lightning," Serah softly announced as she gazed down into her lap. "Sazh told us that he promised himself that he would when he got older. It was only a matter of time."

"What is he, crazy! He can't go off by himself like that. He's not a l'Cie anymore. It's too dangerous!" Snow sat there in disbelief. The idea of Hope going off into the wilderness frightened him. Snow didn't want to lose him either.

"What are you going to do to stop him? His mind has been made up for the past three years. We've got to let him make his own decisions, Snow," Serah advised and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm gonna go get some air and think things over."

Snow stood up and refused to look back at Serah's concerned face. He headed out the door and down the steps to see that it was almost completely dark. There was a fire lit in the center of the village. A few people sat around the fire with their families as they awaited their dinners. On the opposite side of the fire, Hope stood on top of the stone wall with Yuj and Maqui in front of him.

"Come on, Hope!" Maqui urged.

"Alright," Hope said with a nod. He crouched down and propelled himself off the wall. He soared up into the air and preformed a perfectly executed forward somersault. He landed effortlessly on his feet and smiled broadly at the two before him. Many of the viewers around the fire clapped at his performance, causing Hope to turn as red as the fire before them.

Snow walked up behind them. He couldn't believe that Hope was able to do perform such a stunt. Since when was he able to do that?

"How did you do that?" Yuj asked in awe.

Hope rubbed the back of his neck meekly. "Someone I was close with was able to do it. I wanted to learn how to do it myself," he admitted.

"Pretty impressive there, Hope," Snow said and clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"It was nothing," Hope denied with a small shrug.

Still, it was something. It was all the proof Snow needed to see to convince him that Hope hasn't forgotten about Lightning. He wouldn't have taken the time to learn the move if he no longer cared about her. Snow had underestimated the impact she had on him. This was something. This was something big.

The rest of the night reminded Snow of how good it was to be surrounded by the people he cared about. Snow didn't realize how much he had missed Hope until the boy was sitting right beside him, laughing with the others by the fire, and feasting on the fish Serah prepared. Their laughter and smiles continued well into the night before Hope couldn't go for more than five minutes without yawning. They all took this as their sign to turn in for the night.

Snow changed into his comfortable pajama pants and climbed into bed with Serah. Hope was spending the night at Yuj's place. Snow gently stroked Serah's sleeping face. Every day was a blessing to him. Even though Serah refused to marry him until Lightning returned, he was happy enough to just be beside her. All he needed was for her to be with him to make him happy. He leaned down and softly kissed her forehead before lying down and closing his eyes.

"Good morning, Snow," Hope greeted as he took a seat on the yellow sofa. Snow could tell that he had just taken a shower due to his wet hair. "You're cooking breakfast?"

"Yes. I can cook too. Serah taught me how to cook an egg," Snow asserted as he flipped the eggs over on the skillet.

"Impressive," Hope responded bluntly. "Hey, where's Serah?" he asked, noticing the lack of her presence.

"Probably in the washroom. She hasn't been feeling well for the past few days. It's typically in the morning too. I don't know what's wrong with her," Snow mused as he flipped another egg.

"Maybe the fish from last night didn't agree with her," Hope suggested.

"No clue, man. I just hope she gets better soon," he said with a small frown. "You want some eggs?" Snow asked as he moved the eggs from the skillet to a plate. "They're not bad."

"No thanks. I already ate at Yuj's. Lebreau is pretty good in the kitchen too. She made a delicious omelet." Hope paused momentarily.

"Anyway, I've got to be going soon. I just wanted to stop by and say goodbye to you and Serah before I get going."

"Leaving? So soon? I don't think your dad would mind very much if you stayed an extra day," Snow said and carefully studied Hope. The boy was looking anywhere but at him. His eyes wandered from the plate of eggs, to his hands, on the floor, and even over the top of his head.

"I'm sure he wouldn't. I'm not going home though…" Hope slowly admitted.

"Where are you going, Hope?" Snow asked, tired of not knowing why Hope was here and what he was doing. Snow hated being uninformed when it came to the people he cared about.

"I'm back!" Serah said as she walked into the room with her face lit up. She looked absolutely radiant for some reason. She definitely didn't appear as a woman who he assumed to be ill.

"Welcome back," Snow said, walking over to his fiancé and giving her a quick kiss. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling fine. Don't worry," Serah said with a reassuring smile. "What are you two talking about?"

"I'm going to go look for Lighting," Hope blurted out as he rose to his feet.

An immediate silence filled the house and Hope's words hug in the air around them. And there he had it. There was the admission Snow knew was coming but didn't want to believe. For once, Snow was speechless.

"I had a feeling…are you absolutely positive about this, Hope?" Serah asked as she walked over to him.

"I'm sure. My mind's made up. I just wanted to stop and say goodbye before I leave. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone for-"

"Let me go with you," Snow interjected, now suddenly unable to keep his mouth shut. "I've always wanted to go look for her too. She's my sister. I should be the one looking for her."

Hope shook his head. "You need to stay here, Snow. Oerba needs you. You can't leave Serah again. This is something I have to do by myself. Don't worry about me. I'm going to bring her home," Hope vowed. His eyes were bright and filled with determination.

"I have faith in you," Serah said and wrapped her arms around Hope. "Thank you for caring about her so much. She needs someone like you in her life," Serah told him and let him go.

"The only way you're allowed to go is if you come back. You must promise me that you'll come back. Even if you don't find her, Hope. You have to return to Serah and me in one piece. Promise me that," Snow begged his voice loud and strong.

"I will," Hope promised with a large smile across his face.

"Alright, now that that's settled, I have an announcement of my own I'd like to make," Serah said cheerfully. She took Snow's hand and led him over to the sofa. She sat down and he did the same. He stared at her in confusions and she continued to smile back at him.

"Baby, what is it?"

"I just had it confirmed at the clinic…Snow, I'm pregnant," Serah happily informed him. Snow felt his heart skip a beat. Fear rushed over him along with the happiness. He couldn't believe it.

"Snow…say something," Serah said, the corners of her mouth falling.

Snow wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "You're going to make such a good mother. I know I'll love our child," Snow managed to get out, unsure of where the words were coming from. All he knew was that he meant them with all his heart.

"And you'll be an amazing father," she said and lightly stroked the back of his head.

"Congratulations, Serah," Hope said and Serah let go of Snow.

"Thank you. Make sure you bring Lightning back. I'd like my child to know their aunt," she said with a small smile and Hope nodded his head.

"I better get going. Thanks for everything. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Don't forget your promise," Snow said right before Hope stepped outside.

"I never do," Hope told him. He waved to the two of them before leaving without another word.

Snow turned back to Serah and took her hands in his.

"Still have that good feeling?"

"As strong as ever," she confirmed and squeezed his hands.

"Good. We're going to need it," he said and wrapped his arms around her, so thankful to have the woman he loved by his side.

* * *

AN: SNOOOOOOOOOW. You frustrate me. Even as I write as you! D: I have a love hate relationship with Snow. Sometimes he makes me smile, other times I want to punch him. Either way, this chapter was a bit of a challenge to write. Most of the time I wanted to get back into Hope's head because that's where I'm comfortable. Snow completely took me out of my comfort zone. It was fun, challenging, and a little unnerving to write.

Hopefully Snow and Serah aren't too OOC. It's my first time writing as them and I've never read anything with them. I've grown to like them both more as a result of this chapter though. :3

Thanks for reading!

Oh, and this was the longest chapter yet. Give a girl some props. ;D (Oh that sounded awkward...)


	5. Special Someone

Chapter 5

**Special Someone**

I'm not dead! I am alive! I'm so so sorry this chapter is insanely late. I was actually taking a writing fiction class and that made me write so much that I didn't have anytime for pleasure writing. It made me not want to write. The class itself wasn't even that great either, even though it was a very high level class. Now that I'm off for the summer, updates on this story will be much more regular. I haven't abandoned it like I'm sure a lot of you have thought. It was just on a little vacation.

So now we are back in Lightning's head. She's got a great head. It's a nice place to be. I hope you enjoy!**  
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Lightning let out a sigh. She could feel it. She could feel his eyes burrowing into the back of her skull. He wanted her to feel it. He was willing her to turn around and glare at him. She wanted nothing more than to yell at him to stop staring at her. She wasn't paranoid. She could feel it.

She slowly turned her head to the side and grabbed the string next to her. Her eyes slid ever so slightly to the left, just enough to catch a glance behind her. As soon as she did, her blue eyes locked with his chocolate brown. Her eyes narrowed in a cold glare that would make anyone want to look away. Instead, he stared right on back with a smirk on his full lips. She hated him.

For the past three days, Kobi had been following Lightning around like a lost puppy. Not in the adorable way that Hope did when he was around Lightning. Kobi was like an annoying dog begging Lightning for food, or in this case, more about her past. Oh how she longed to kick the mutt.

She turned her attention back to the skirt she was helping Aaina sew. While she was living with them, she did everything she could to repay them back. She held up the skirt and examined her clumsy stitches…how pathetic.

"You'll get it in time, dear. Don't worry. It takes practice. In the meantime, we can give that skirt to one of the children. They won't mind if the stitches are bad. They'd run around naked if we let them," Aaina said as she sat next to her in the soft grass.

It was another beautiful day. The sky was a clear blue and the air was comfortably warm. Sometimes, Lightning couldn't help but get sick of the perfection. She wanted to feel rain on her skin once more. She wanted it to storm and thunder so she could scream without anyone hearing her. On the outside, Lighting reflected the current weather. On the inside, there was a storm brewing.

She put the skirt down with a sigh. She worked diligently on the thing for the past two days only for it to come out looking horrible. Lightning just wasn't cut out for this stuff. She couldn't sew, she ruined food, and took forever making jewelry. She'd much rather help the men fish or build homes. Although in her current state, she was forced to continue sewing.

"Go take a break," Aaina told Lightning, her voice strong. Her small withered hands worked diligently on the stitches with little effort.

"No, I want to help."

"You've been working on it all day. You deserve a break. Don't argue with me." Lightning flinched, not used to being reprimanded by someone so much older than her. Aaina looked up from her worked and her emerald eyes sparkled at Lightning mischievously.

"I guess I don't have an option then," Lightning said as she picked up her crutch and stood up. She knocked the dirt off of the bottom of her skirt with her free hand and limped away from Aaina.

She crutched through the small village and over to the river where she liked to go to be alone. Recently she had to change her spot frequently to remain hidden. The people in the village were always able to find her.

She sat down on the wet sand by the river and soaked her foot once more. It was still swollen, but it was going down little by little each day. The cool water really helped with the pain and she was hoping it would help speed up her recovery.

"Excuse me…miss?"

Lightning sighed. _That didn't take long…_Lightning turned around and raised her head to see a girl around her age behind her. She had bright, wavy red hair that came to her shoulders and soft chocolate eyes. Freckles speckled her pale complexion around her nose and cheek bones. She was short, probably standing around five foot two and looked very thin and fragile. Almost like a china doll. Her tan animal skin skirt came to her knees and was trimmed in animal fur. Her neck was hidden by numerous bright turquoise beads. She wore a matching blue top with beaded straps.

It wasn't the first time she had seen the girl. Her bright red hair stood out almost as much as her own pink did. Lightning didn't know much about her other than that her name was Melissa. The young children of the settlement were fond of her and Lightning often saw them gathering around her as she played with them.

"Do you need something?" Lightning asked, her face cold and unmoving.

The girl flinched and took a step back. She tore her eyes off of Lightning's and became suddenly preoccupied with a pebble on the ground which she pushed back and forth with her leather sandal.

"Well, it's just that I wanted to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind-"

"And if I do?" Lightning interjected. Having Kobi sticking his nose into her past was enough. She didn't need anyone else bothering with their inquisitions.

"Please, just hear me out. I won't keep you long," she requested, taking a seat next to Lightning but maintaining a good distance between them. Lightning could sense the apprehension radiating from her. Sometimes she forgot how intimidating she could be.

"Go ahead," she instructed and saw the girl nod out of the corner of her eye.

"Thank you. I just wanted to talk to you because three years ago I crashed my airship a few miles west of this village."

Lightning looked up and Melissa stared back, her face serious. She didn't have her attention before, but she certainly did now.

"My father had been one of the captains in the Calvary before he passed. I've been flying airships since I was a young girl. I was on a simple solo mission of food transportation when I became lost in an unfamiliar part of Gran Pulse. I became so lost that the radio waves couldn't connect with my ship. At that point I was already running low on fuel. As I lowered my airship in an attempt to land, smoke from this village caught my eye. The terrain was too rough to land properly and my ship was badly damaged upon impact. I've tried repairing it numerous times, but it's hopeless." Melissa finished her story with a shrug and was quiet for a moment as Lightning thought about her story.

"That explains why the people here know about what happened to Cocoon and how they've figured out what day it is," Lightning mused, feeling a bit better with that cleared up.

She nodded. "They were pretty confused when I found them. They weren't sure if they should go looking for other people or if there were even other people still alive. They were relieved to hear that they weren't the last ones living. They often come to me if they have questions about the outside world. I hope you don't mind if I ask some myself," she said, looking at Lightning for her approval.

"Sure. I've been traveling for quite some time, but I'll tell you what I know."

"Thank you," Melissa said with a smile. "I was wondering how the Calvary is. Are people living in stable housing now? When I left, they were still living in shelters like they were when I crashed. And…did anyone search for me?" she added with big doe like eyes. Lightning felt her stomach squirm.

"From what I've seen the Calvary and Guardian Corps are really running the place right now. They're helping keep order. I haven't been in any form of civilization for around two years. People were just starting to move into their homes. Each form of housing varies by location. Some repaired the old ruins and some built new houses. As you know, the Calvary has been bringing as much from Cocoon here as they can. It's been hard, but people are really banding together," Lightning told her with a small smile. She wished she could provide more information for her, but she didn't know much. "As for people searching for you…it's not likely. When people disappear, it's standard policy to search places where they might have gone but people who wander off are often killed by the wild beasts. You probably received a bigger search than most, but they're not looking anymore," she informed Melissa as she stared at the translucent water rippling in front of her.

"Oh…I see. At least people are getting their lives back on track," she said with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry," Lightning said, not knowing if she should place her hand on the girl's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. In the end she decided not to.

"Don't worry, it's fine!" she said with a small, unconvincing laugh. "Part of me longs for the life I once lived, but I didn't have many close friends and I didn't have a family. I have more of a life here than I ever did back on Cocoon. I do miss flying though," she admitted and dragged her finger through the sandy riverbank, drawing a picture of a small plane.

"So, you like it here?" Lightning questioned. She couldn't help but like it herself. The small community was nice and everyone was very close. She liked how peaceful it was at night and the collectivity of the place reminded her a bit of Bodhum. Still, it was a bit too quiet and mundane for her.

"I do. I feel like I have a purpose here and they've really accepted me. The people here are good people. Apparently they're excited about brining my genes into the pool as well. They were worried about reproduction," Melissa said with a smile and a small wink. "I'm sure they'd love to have yours too. Especially Kobi. He seems to have taken a liking to you."

"No. Not to me. A liking to my background, maybe," Lighting scoffed, sickened by the very thought of it.

"I don't know about that. He's constantly watching you and he's been fascinated by you since you arrived her. He often watched over you while you slept during the first few days to make sure you didn't lay on one of your bad limbs. For some reason, he's giving you the attention I always wished he'd give me," she admitted, her cheeks turning bright red.

"Trust me, I wish he'd be giving it to you too," Lightning said, turning her head up to the bright blue sky above her. "I already have someone waiting for me."

"You do? Is he your boyfriend?" Melissa asked, suddenly excited by prospect of juicy girl gossip. There wasn't much in such an uneventful village.

Lightning laughed softly. "No. He's just someone special to me is all. I'm sure I've put him through a lot these past few years," she said solemnly.

"You should go back to him."

"That's my plan. I've got my sister and possible brother in-law waiting for me. I'm hoping they've gotten married by now." Lightning laughed and smiled at the idea of Snow and Serah getting married, even if she didn't get to see it.

"What's his name? How old is he now?" Melissa eagerly asked, clearly eating up the information she was getting. She was like a teenage girl sucked into a good romance novel.

"His name is Hope and he's eighteen now. All grown up."

"And perfectly available!" she exclaimed, hopping up to her feet and clapping her hands together a few times in excitement.

Lightning could feel the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach at Melissa's outburst. She couldn't deny that the thought had crossed her mind a time or two.

"It's been three years. I wouldn't be surprised if he has met a pretty girl and is happy and with her now. No doubt he's handsome," Lightning admitted, feeling a bit sick to her stomach now. She couldn't help but be a bit possessive of Hope. He was special to her, after all. They had gone through a lot together.

"But wouldn't it be romantic if he was waiting for you to come back?" Melissa cooed, lost in a fantasy land of romance. "You're so pretty too. I don't think he'd let a girl like you go that easily."

"Three years. Three. Years," Lightning emphasized as Melissa was clearly not getting the messages. A lot changed in that amount of time. People grew up. People fell in love. People are impatient.

"Do you have a romantic fiber in you?" Melissa asked with a frown on her face. Lightning paused for a second, wondering if she did. She couldn't put a name to the happy and safe feeling she got when she thought of Hope. Or those obnoxious butterflies that filled her stomach.

"No," she answered bluntly, but still couldn't help ponder if there were more to her feelings than she thought. _Stop it, Lightning. You're being ridiculous. It's been three years. He's probably moved on. It doesn't even matter now. Just focus on getting home to Serah. _

"Speaking of Kobi, here he comes," Melissa said and Lightning turned her head to see the tall man walking towards them. She let out a sigh and pulled herself to her feet. She wanted to be ready to crutch away if needed.

"Hey Melissa, Lightning," he said, locking eyes with her as she stopped in front of her. "Seems like the two outsiders have become well acquainted," he observed and Melissa beamed.

"Lightning and I were having a nice chat. Turns out she has a special someone," Melissa blurted and Lightning elbowed her in the side. The last thing she needed was Kobi wanting to dig more information out of her. _Oh, Goddess. Give me strength. _

Kobi raised a bushy eyebrow at the newly acquired information. "Does she really now? Who's the lucky guy, Lightning?" he asked with his ever present smirk. She resisted the urge to let go of her crutch and punch him.

"None of your business, Kobi," she snapped, glaring at him.

"Ah, but it seems you had no trouble telling Melissa. What makes me any different?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you're an insufferable ass who won't leave me alone?" she said and began to crutch off in the direction of the dining pavilion where everyone ate at night.

"You made her mad," Melissa said, stating the obvious as Lightning left.

"Lightning, wait!" Kobi called as he ran after her. Lightning made a valiant attempt to crutch faster through the tall grass. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you mad. I just want us to be friends. I really want to get to know you better. Is that so much to ask?"

"I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to heal and then leave."

"Is that any way to treat us? Even after we've done so much for you?" Lightning glared at him. That was a low blow.

"While I appreciate everything you and Aaina have done for me, I can't stay here. I have to get back home."

"To your special someone?" Kobi said as he stopped following her.

"Yes," Lightning said, not looking back. "To my special someone."

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End note: A part of me really wanted to write more but I just felt that was such a good place to end it. Once again, I'm sorry about the lateness! I'm also sorry about any spelling errors or grammatical mistakes. It's six in the morning and I often do my best writing late at night. It's often when my spelling and grammar is the worst though.

Comments and favorites will get you lollipops and cake! Look at me bribing you to comment. Do it. You know you want to. ;)


	6. Fading Away

Chapter 6

**Fading Away**

AN: This chapter gave me hell. Don't know why it was so hard to write. Chapter seven is already going much smoother. Still, I hope you enjoy!

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"Come on, Quincy. Just a little bit farther. Please?" Hope begged, trying to urge the bird forward. He turned up his beak in the air in a self determined refusal. "I'll give you some gysahl greens as a treat!" Instead of moving, he sat down and rested his head in the grass. "Fine. We'll rest here for tonight," Hope said in defeat as he hoisted himself off the back of the large bird.

Hope turned his head to the sky. They still had an hour or two of daylight and he hated to waste any second of it. He turned back to Quincy, thinking of ways he could possibly motivate the bird to continue.

After a good ten minutes of thinking how to continue, Hope eventually gave up and sat down next to Quincy. He could feel the heat radiating off of him and Hope suddenly felt a tinge of remorse for making him work so hard. They had been riding for a good twenty-four hours straight. Hope hadn't felt tired the whole time but as soon as he let himself rest, a wave of exhaustion rushed over him.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I know I've been working you really hard and I appreciate it. I'll try to go a bit easier on you from now on," he apologized while pouring some water into a bowl for Quincy. As soon as he set the bowl in front of him, he lapped it up without a second's hesitation. Seeing how parched he was made Hope feel even worse.

Hope scooted a bit closer to the bird. Quincy carefully eyed him and Hope moved a tad bit closer. Quincy let out a large breath of air that uncannily reminded Hope of a scoff. Hope froze for a moment before closing the thin gap between the two. Quincy made no move as Hope rested his against his soft feathers.

The sky above him was dyed a beautiful pinkish-red. Seeing the sky with such beautiful colors reminded Hope of his mother. He thought of her pretty frequently. Sure, he had days where he would be so busy he wouldn't have the time to think of her, but sights like this made him feel close to her again. He knew that she would be proud of him. He worked hard to make sure of it.

"Hey, Mom," Hope said, feeling a little foolish for talking to his mother around Quincy. He looked at the bird who was busily poking the ground for insects with his beak. He decided that Quincy wouldn't judge him.

"It's been awhile since we've talked. Sorry about that. Quincy and I have been traveling for seven days now. Things have been going alright so far. We haven't run into any especially threatening fiends. Nothing I couldn't handle by myself," he paused and pulled his gunblade out of the holster on his back. He flipped it open and examined the sleek blade closely. He scraped a speckle of dried blood off of it with his fingernail before folding it close and sticking it back in his holster.

He looked back up at the sky as the colors started to fade into darkness. A part of him wished Sazh was around so he'd have someone else to talk to, someone physically there other than his chocobo.

"I still haven't found her yet. Don't you worry though, Mom. It's only a matter of time until I do. I'll search every corner of Gran Pulse to find her. I promised I'd protect her. I can't break that promise," he said with a determined glint in his eyes. "And when I do, I'll…I'm not really sure what I'll do then. I don't really care once I know that she's alright."

Quincy suddenly stood up, causing Hope to fall backward onto the hard ground.

"You could have at least given me some warning!" he yelled at the bird while he dusted off the back of his shirt and shook some dirt out of his hair.

Hope spent his remaining hour and a half of daylight collecting firewood and tossing it into a pile. He pulled a lighter out of his bag and attempted to start a fire for the night.

"This would be so much easier if I were still a l'Cie. One fire spell I'd have a fire going in no time," he mused as he tried to get the fire to catch. Eventually the small fire grew and he had one that would keep the wild beasts away from them as they slept.

He opened his bag once more and pulled out a can of baked beans which he lazily cooked over the fire. When they were finished, he shoved them down, despite them burning his tongue. He tossed the empty can into the fire and pulled out a blanket for him to sleep on. Sleeping on the ground was never comfortable but it was something he became used to.

"Goodnight, Quin," he said to the chocobo sleeping a few feet away from him. He didn't show any sign of acknowledging Hope. Hope closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep slumber.

Hope found himself surrounded by light. As far he could see, everything was white and bright. The only thing aside from him in the light was a woman with pink hair standing off in the distance.

"Lightning!" Hope yelled, running toward the girl. He ran forward and grabbed her hand. She looked just like she had when she left him. Same hair, outfit, and beautiful pink lips. "Lightning, where have you been?" he exclaimed and she shook her head.

"What's wrong? Can't you talk?" he asked and she shook her head once more.

"Lightning, I'm looking for you. You need to tell me where you are. I need to find you. Please, say something," Hope begged and squeezed her hand even tighter, just to convince himself that she was there.

A single tear fell from her light blue eyes and she smiled at him. Her sweet smile that she rarely ever showed anyone. She looked so beautiful when she smiled.

"Here, come with me. We'll find a way out of here. There has to be a way out," Hope said and looked around at the endless light. He started to pull her arm but she resisted. That or maybe she couldn't move. Hope wasn't sure which.

Hope reached up and gently wiped the tear from her cheek.

"Alright. Let's just stay here then," he said, taking a step closer and wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her close and buried his face in her soft pink hair. Every muscle in his body relaxed as he finally held the woman he had been searching so long for. "I don't mind staying like this," he whispered and reached up to stroke her hair.

After a moment, Hope felt her hug him back. It was so easy to hug her now that he was taller. The thought brought a smile to his face and a small laugh. She let go and pushed him away with a raised eyebrow of confusion. Her entire face read 'what was that laugh for?'

"It's nothing. I just like being taller than you is all," he teased and Lightning scowled. She raised her hand to his forehead and pushed him back with her finger, bringing a small smile to her face.

Hope laughed, "Same old Light."

He reached down and took both of her hands in his. His face turned serious as he looked into her gentle blue eyes. "Don't ever leave me again," he said and her eyes widened a little in surprise at his forwardness. Still, she smiled and gave a small nod.

At first it wasn't noticeable. Just a light glow emitting from her that slowly turned to translucence. He could see right through her as she started to fade away before his eyes.

"No, Lightning, wait!" he exclaimed and tried to grab onto her, only to have his arm go right through her shoulder. He tried to grab onto her hand with only the same result. He looked up at her only to see her frown. Shining tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. She reached up and placed her hand against Hope's face. He couldn't feel it.

Hope watched as the soft glow around her grew so bright that he couldn't bear to look any longer. When he looked back up, he was alone.

"No…" he muttered, falling to his knees. She was right there. She was right in front of him. Why was it that he couldn't hold onto her? Why was she always leaving?

The white light around Hope grew brighter and brighter and the image of him on his knees was engulfed in bright light.

Hope's eyes shot open. He found himself covered in a cold sweat. He sat up and looked around franticly, unsure of where he was. It took a minute for everything to sink. The fire had died down a bit and Hope figured he had only slept for a few hours. He stared at Quincy who was sleeping a few feet away, his beak occasionally poking at the ground as if he were digging.

"It was all just a dream," he said aloud and ran his fingers though his sweat damped hair. He wasn't sure if he could feel sad or relieved. In the end, all he felt was emptiness.

He laid back down and stared at the dark sky above him. Hope often looked up at the sky. It was one of the few things that brought him comfort. It was a pathetic thought, but knowing that Lightning was somewhere underneath the same sky made him feel a bit better.

"This is so frustrating," he mumbled to himself as he tossed back and forth on his blanket. Hope didn't like uncertainty. He didn't like not knowing what was going to happen or if he'd ever even find her. Still, something deep inside him convinced him that he would. He wouldn't have trained so hard if he didn't believe that. When everyone had thought Lightning to be dead, he knew that she was still alive. He could feel it.

He stood up and grabbed his gunblade. He shot Quincy a quick glance before walking off into the distance. He walked through a lush forest towards the sound of running water. He paid close attention to his surroundings, looking and listening for any fiends that could be lurking in the shadows of the trees.

After walking for a few minutes, he came to a clearing where there was a very wide and deep river that ran on for as far as he could see. He put down his gunblade and quickly stripped off his clothing and dove into the cool water.

Jumping into the water felt like taking a breath of air after being suffocated. The sweat rinsed off of him as he swam underneath the water. He returned to the surface and deeply inhaled the sweet air around him. The trees gave off a flowery aroma.

The snapping of a branch caught his attention and he jerked his head in the direction of the sound. He could see the shadow of something in the forest and it was large. He remained motionless, knowing all too well that if he moved, the beast would likely take an interest in him. He eyed his gunblade on the shore and mentally cursed himself for swimming so far away from it. He was defenseless and suddenly felt very vulnerable and weak; just like when he was younger.

The shadow grew larger and larger as it approached. Hope contemplated hiding underwater but he seriously doubted he'd be able to swim away fast enough without making a lot of sound. Still, he moved as silently as he could to a large rock to the right of him. He was doing his best to remain calm, knowing all too well that bad decisions are often made by those who are panicked.

Hope watched as the figured finally emerged from the forest.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said and swam out of his hiding place.

"Kweh?" asked Quincy, as he tilted his large yellow head.

"Do you have any idea how much you scared me?" Hope yelled, climbing out of the river and pulling on his clothes, the desire to swim leaving him completely. He felt pathetic, being so afraid of his own chocobo. A part of Hope wished it had been a beast. It would have made for a much more impressive story.

Quincy walked over to the river and dipped his beak into the water. Hope could hear as the bird lapped it up and he assumed that Quincy had followed him to see where he was going. After he was done, he hopped into the river and began splashing around in the water. He dipped his long neck under the water and flapped his wings with excitement.

Hope couldn't help but smile at seeing him so happy. He sat down on the damp bank and watched as Quincy played in the river under the dark sky. For now, Hope figured it would do him some good to enjoy the simple things. In time, he would find her and he had to continue to look forward to that.

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AN: Sorry about the lateness of this chapter. My updating with this story is so sporadic. I try to get a chapter out at least every month. Chapter seven will probably be out ridiculously soon so I hope you look forward to that. A super thanks to everyone who have been reading and reviewing. They make me smile. :)

Those who review will be blessed with good karma and quicker updates. ;D -bribebribebribe-


	7. Brainstorming

Chapter 7

**Brainstorming**

* * *

"Give it back," Lightning demanded through clenched teeth. Her nails dug into the palms of her hands. Her eyes burned with the rage of intense loathing. If she wasn't injured, it wouldn't have been hard to take it back herself.

"I'm not allowed to admire your work? You worked so hard on sewing this _one _skirt. It _only_ took you ten days to complete it," Kobi teased, holding the skirt up high so Lightning wouldn't be able to reach it.

"Give it back to her, Kobi. Sometimes I swear you're still a kid," Aaina reprimanded her son while stirring the soup that would be their dinner.

The three of them stood underneath the dining pavilion where Lightning and Kobi were supposed to being helping Aaina prepare dinner for the village. In the end, Aaina was doing most of the cooking while Kobi tormented Lightning to the best of his abilities.

"Still a child at heart," he said to his mother and lowered the skirt. Lightning tore it out of his hand and tossed it to the side. She hated the thing. Even after working on it for as long as she did, it still looked too long in the back and too short in the front. The beads she managed to sew were already coming loose and the stitches were sloppy. She felt bad enough about it without Kobi rubbing it in her face.

"I'll do better next time," she muttered under her breath as she handed Aaina some carrots to add to the stew.

"It was your first time. You did your best. That's all we can ask for," the woman said with a smile that diminished Lightning's worries a bit. Still, she made a vow to improve her next skirt.

It didn't take long for the stew to be cooked and the bread to be baked. Thirty minutes later and everyone was sitting under the pavilion in a circle with their bowls in their laps. Everyone sat on cushions and it was a prime time for socialization.

"Mind if I take this seat?"

Lightning looked up to see Melissa smiling down at her with her hand pointing at the cushion next to her.

"Not at all," Lightning said and Melissa plopped down beside her. Lightning stirred the soup in front of her and took a sip with her spoon made out of some sort of bone. It was a delicious vegetable stew that warmed every inch of her body. She wished that she could have eaten like this on her journey. After a while, she had to eat the fiends she killed or the fruit she was lucky enough to find.

"They sure do know how to cook here," Melissa said as if she had read Lightning's mind. "Aaina promised that she'd teach me some of her famous recipes. The woman can make anything taste good," she boasted, taking a large spoonful of the stew and popping it into her open mouth. A little slid down the corner of her mouth and she wiped it off with the back of her hand.

"I'm a disastrous chef," Lightning said, thinking back to the many burnt birthday cakes and dinners. "Maybe I'll ask her to teach me some too."

Melissa's eyes widened and a smile spread across her face. "Does that mean you're going to stay longer?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement. Her smile was quickly erased when Lightning shook her head.

"The more time I spend here the longer it'll take to get back to my family. I will miss it here though," she said, looking around at the people around her. A little boy was tugging at the pig tail of the girl sitting next to him. A group of women laughed loudly at the jokes the men were telling. They were so jovial. They were just a group of people just happy to be alive. They went through so much as I'Cie, thinking that they were all going to become Cie'th together. They didn't take anything for granted and each day was a blessing to them. Lightning wished more people were like them.

"I couldn't imagine going back to how my life used to be before crashing here. It was so empty," Melissa said and a part of Lightning understood. Life often became mundane when you didn't have much to live for. "Sometimes, I think crashing here was the best thing that ever happened to me," she said with a smile that Lightning surprisingly found herself returning.

Lightning took a bite of her bread and looked over to see Melissa staring over at Kobi. He was playing with one of the younger kids. The young boy would lean over and poke Kobi and pretend that he didn't do it while Kobi loudly asked who kept poking him, obviously knowing that it was the kid beside him. The kid wouldn't stop giggling.

"Not to pry or anything," Lightning began, giving Melissa a light nudge with her elbow, "but how long have you been, um, interested in Kobi?" she asked, wondering what it was that she could possibly see in him. He was the definition of annoying.

"Oh," Melissa said, her cheeks turning bright red. "Was is that obvious?"

"What? The way you were staring at him? Obvious to everyone except him," she said, taking another sip of her stew.

Melissa tore her eyes off of him and looked down at the ground they were sitting on. "I guess it started when I first came here. He was the one to have found me after I crashed, actually. I wasn't badly injured. I was more shaken and upset that my plane wouldn't be able to be repaired. Kobi had seen the plane and went in the direction he saw it flying in. He then brought me here," she said with a smile.

"So it had been love at first sight?" Lightning said bluntly.

"You could say that. More like unrequited love at first sight. I don't think he thinks of me as anything more than a sister. While everyone was fascinated in me when I first arrived and I was showered with attention, he was the only one to not show any interest. That's why I can't wrap my head around why he's so into you, Lightning," she said with a small sigh.

"You know it's the last thing I want," Lightning said, making it clear to the girl that she had no interest in Kobi.

She nodded. "I know. Hey, maybe that's it. Maybe the fact that you don't want him attracts him. You know, the 'hard to get' girl," Meslissa said, pleased with her realization. "So, maybe if I ignore Kobi, he'll be interested in me!" she announced and Lightning fought back a laugh. The girl was too much.

"I'm not sure if that's going to work," she said, a small laugh slipping out.

"Still, it's worth a shot! From now on I will not acknowledge Kobi," she announced, her face completely determined.

"Good luck with that," Lightning said and brought the bowl to her lips, tipping it back to empty the last of it.

When the sound of thunder hit Lightning's ears, she wasn't sure if she was imagining or not. She turned around and looked up towards the sky to see large storms clouds quickly moving in. They were dark and ominous clouds that made her heart leap with joy. The endless perfect days were getting old; Lightning needed a storm.

"Didn't see them coming," she said while standing up and looking up at the dark sky.

"It's hard to pay attention to the weather while eating such good food," Melissa informed her and took her bowl. "We like to leave the bowls out in the rain. It makes washing them easier later. You better get inside if you don't want to get wet. It looks like it'll be a bad one," she said with a small smile. Lightning nodded and Melissa left to help the others get the children inside and the bowls set to be washed.

The sky opened up and began dumping buckets of water as soon as Lightning reached Aaina's cabin. Walking was getting much easier now that she had been there a little over two weeks. Although her ankle was still a little tender, she found herself being able to put more pressure on it. It began to dawn on Lightning that her stay in Yampeir would soon be ending.

"Hey."

Lightning spun around, ready to assault whoever was behind her.

"Woah woah. Easy there," Kobi said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean to frighten you. People always told me I walked too quietly for my own good," he said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's okay. It's just instinct is all," she said, resting her crutch by the door and walking over to the fireplace where a low fire was lit. She sat down in front of the fire on the soft animal fur rug and tried to give off her strongest "leave me alone" vibes.

Apparently, Kobi was immune to these vibes. He walked over and sat down right next to her.

"So, how was your day?" he asked, leaning back and using his arms to prop himself up.

"Fine," Lightning responded bluntly and continued staring at the fire in front of her.

"Is it really that hard to talk to me?"

"Yes."

"Do you hate me?"

"No."

"Then why can't you talk to me?"

"Because I don't want to talk to you, Kobi. I want to be left alone. I am leaving. There is no point in talking to me. There is no point in getting to know me," Lightning snapped, sick of this childish game going on between the two of them.

"But you talk to Melissa," he rebutted and smirked as Lightning didn't say anything for a moment.

"Melissa didn't pry. She let me open up on my own terms. She still doesn't know much about me so don't assume that she does. We're not best friends," she said, feeling a little guilty for snubbing Melissa like that, but it was the truth. They weren't anything more than friendly acquaintances.

"Fine then. I won't try to get to know you. Instead, I'll let you get to know me and then you'll come to me on your own terms," Kobi told her with a sly smile.

"What are you planning?" Lightning asked. She couldn't help but be extremely suspicious.

"I'm not planning anything. I'm just changing my approach. You'll open up once you get more comfortable."

"Doubt it," Lightning quickly interjected and shook her head at his foolishness. He knew nothing.

"If you say so. But since we're stuck in here, how about I tell you a bit about myself and my history? Unless you have something better to do," he offered and she could feel him staring at her. As much as she hated to admit it, she was curious. She went three years trying to find out everything she could about Pulse and its past. Now she had the opportunity to speak to someone who grew up there! As much as she didn't want to talk to him, she couldn't pass this up.

"I don't have anything better to do," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Just start talking," she said, rolling her eyes.

Kobi laughed and nodded his head. "Well, where to begin? My birth sounds like a good start. I was born to Aaina and Kyran on one of the hottest days of the year. My father died when I was around the age of seven. He was hunting when he came across a Zirnitra that quickly ended his life. I don't remember him well, but I've heard great things about him," Kobi said with a proud smile as he recalled his father. "Still, I had a great mother and home by Sulyya Springs. We were well watched over by the fal'Cie Bismarck. That was until we were all branded by him and turned into Pulse l'Cie."

"The War of Transgression," Lightning added and Kobi nodded.

"All we could think of was 'Destroy Cocoon'. I was already a grown adult by then and I was ready to defend Pulse in war. The elders of Yampeir spoke out against the violence. They didn't want us to be pawns of the fal'Cie. They convinced us that the more honorable death would be turning into Cie'th. So we all awaited our endless suffering. It was very hard on all of us," he told her, his eyes growing dark.

"But you didn't die. You were turned to crystal. You were saved," Lightning said, still unable to wrap her head around it. Something similar had happened to her when they defeated Orphan and Vanille and Fang stopped Cocoon from falling.

"Yes. Did my mother tell you this story?" he asked and laughed when she nodded.

"Why did you wake up though?" Lightning wondered aloud.

"We don't know. We think we have the two Pulse l'Cie that stopped Cocoon from falling to thank for that. Our focus was to destroy Cocoon. In a way, they did just that by saving it. They encased it in crystal and we woke up. I honestly can't say why we woke up. I'm sure glad we did though," he said and Lightning felt her heart plummet. There were no answers. Even though deep inside she was convinced there was a way to save Vanille and Fang, she now realized that she couldn't do it on her own. Leaving everyone behind had been a major mistake.

"What's wrong?" Kobi asked, his face concerned and Lightning realized how quiet she was being.

"It's nothing. Just thinking about things," she answered and ran her hand across the soft animal fur she sat on. It reminded her of Vanille's skirt.

"Alright then," he said and Lightning looked up, her face full of surprise. She couldn't believe that he was actually dropping the subject. Typically he'd push and push.

"Thanks."

"For what?" His turn to be surprised.

"For actually not trying to dig your way into my past for once. I appreciate it," she said and gave him her first genuine smile.

He suddenly looked away. "Well…it's not like my last approach was working any," he said with a nervous laugh. The air between them suddenly grew very tense and Lightning found herself wishing that she hadn't mentioned his changed behavior. She wanted to run out of the room but knew that would be impossible with the storm.

"So who's the guy you're so eager to get back to?" Kobi asked and Lightning scoffed; so much for not trying to dig into her past.

"He's just this kid I spent a lot of time with. Him and I became really close. I'd like to see him again is all. I want to apologize for leaving him the way I did," she explained, half wondering why she was telling him in the first place. At least it would make him shut up about her not telling him anything.

"So…you two aren't romantically involved then?"

"No," Lightning quickly answered, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

"Alright then," Kobi said, smiling to himself which only made Lightning feel worse.

"I need to get some air," Lightning said, standing up and making her way over to the door.

"But it's storming. You'll get soaked," he protested as he rose to his feet as well.

She shook her head. "Just leave me alone for a bit."

"Don't stay out for too long."

"Thanks," she said and staggered out of the cabin and into the pouring rain. It only took a matter of seconds for Lightning to feel the moisture penetrating through her top and skirt.

She limped out of the village and into a large empty field. It's one of the most idiotic things you could do during a thunderstorm. Lightning was confident the lightning wouldn't strike her though. She couldn't explain how she knew, and it didn't have anything to do with her name. It was just a feeling.

The air around her was thick with humidity and the clouds above her flashed bright with lightning. It was a beautiful sight to behold. The lightning was so well defined and dangerous. It sent a rush of adrenaline throughout her body. The water soaked her hair and it clung to her wet skin.

A bright flash of lightning lit up the sky and Lightning found herself taking a deep breath. A few seconds past and the loud thunder drowned out the sound of her scream. All the anger, frustration, loneliness, pain, and sorrow she felt came out in that one yell of utter anguish. She fell to her knees in the mud and bowed her head. She wasn't sure if the moisture on her face was from the rain or her tears.

The answers she searched for weren't there. She failed in finding a way to save her friends from their eternal crystal sleep. She brought so much suffering to the ones she cared about. She knew that Vanille and Fang wouldn't have wanted this. At least, this wasn't the way to go about it. Three years and she wasn't any closer to bringing them back as she was when she started.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, apologizing to those she knew she hurt. She never imagined that she could have failed this badly.

At that moment, she would have given anything to be with her loved ones again. She wanted to be with Serah and to see her smiling face. She meant the world to her. How was it was so easy to just leave her like that? Lightning didn't think about it. She just pushed everything aside and focused on the task in front of her. What she did wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to Serah, to Snow, to Sazh, to Hope.

She reached up and clenched her fingers in her damp hair. How could she have done that? How could she miss out on three crucial years of Hope's life? Would he ever forgive her for leaving him the way she did? She wasn't sure. He held such a grudge against Snow for so long. Would he do the same to her? She wished from the bottom of her heart that he would forgive her. Seeing him mad at her would be unbearable.

Lightning didn't know how long she sat there in that open field. Eventually the rain began to slow to a slight drizzle and the clouds began to clear. Lightning could begin to feel the warmth of the sun on her back as it emerged from behind the clouds. She slowly stood up and raised her head to see a clear blue sky behind the retreating clouds.

"I guess the only way to find out is to apologize in person. Right, Hope?" she asked to the sky, a small smile on her face. For the first time in a long time, she felt a tiny glimmer of hope.

* * *

AN: I really hope you guys liked this chapter as much as I did because I adored writing this chapter. It was ridiculously fun and I never suspected that. In my mental outline of how this story is supposed to work, this was not supposed to be one of the fun chapters but it turned out to be.

The title is an inside joke between my beta and I. I'll occasionally go to him for 'brainstorming' sessions. I told him that I needed a scene where Kobi and Lightning were alone and forced to be together. He then suggested that a storm comes and to stick them in a cave but I decided it would make more sense for them to just go inside. :D So we got a 'storm' out of our 'brainstorming' session. Haha. Very funny, Val. If you'd like, you could always look at the title figuratively with the storm that is going on inside Lightning's head and the actual storm going on. It's not as funny though. ;D

"There was a bunch of typos," said my beta after he finished reading this chapter. So if a bunch of typos and grammatical mistakes manage to make their way though like they also do, I'm super sorry. I get lazy when I have fun writing. It's a bad habit I need to seriously work on.

As always, thanks for all the great reviews! They really put a smile on my face and it warms my heart to know people keep reading. I'm going to do my best to respond to everyone I get from now on.


	8. Pulse

Chapter 8

**Pulse**

* * *

When your entire body is encased in crystal, there really isn't much to do. To pass the endless amount of time they had, Fang and Vanille would often watch over those they cared about. It was hard no longer being a part of their lives. Watching the lives of their friends continue helped them feel a bit connected.

Today, the two girls sat in a grassy field while Hope scavenged around bushes for food. The sun was shining brightly and Fang could tell by the glistening sweat on Hope's forehead that it was hot.

"Do you think he'll find her?" Vanille asked, looking over at Fang who sat in the grass across from her.

Fang shrugged. "If he has Lady Luck on his side, maybe," she said, looking over at Hope as he searched through their foliage. "It sure would be a shame if he didn't though. He's worked so hard to find her."

"He never gives up once he sets his mind on something," Vanille added, smiling at him. "I just wish he were happier is all. He's gone through so much. I mean, he already lost his mother, us, and now Lightning too. That's too much for the poor guy," Vanille said as she hopped to her feet. She walked over and patted Hope gently on the back, even though she knew that he wouldn't be able to feel it.

"Not much we can do about it. Fate works out in strange ways. All we can do is hope for the best," Fang mused and ran her fingers through her tousled brown hair.

"It's just hard watching everyone going through so much pain. Lightning did it all for us too," Vanille said and started pacing back and forth in front of Fang. "Sometimes I feel like we're watching a bad play being preformed right in front of our very eyes. Like we're the audience and they're the actors."

Fang sighed. "That's honestly a pretty good analogy of our situation. The audience isn't allowed to interact with the actors. If they did, it would mess up the whole play. All we can do is sit back…and watch," she said, doing just that as Hope walked over in their direction. He walked right through Fang and over towards his chocobo.

"Wake up, Quin!" he said, giving the bird a light shove. "I found some berries for us!" he exclaimed, holding up his prized find and dangling them in front of the bird's face. Quin took one look at the berries that reflected in his almond eyes and vigorously shook his head back and forth. "Alright then, more for me," Hope said, pulling four bright red berries off the vine.

Fang's eyes widened in alarm and she quickly rose to her feet. "Vanille, do those berries look familiar to you?"

"Hm?" Vanille looked over at Hope and let out a gasp. "Hope, don't!" she shouted, forgetting for a moment that he wouldn't be able to hear her.

It was too late though. Hope popped the berries into his mouth. He chewed them for a few seconds and quickly swallowed as his face scrunched up in disgust. He took a look at the remaining berries in his hand and threw them to back into the bushes where he found them.

"You weren't missing out on anything," he grumbled to Quincy and hoisted himself on the bird's back.

"Oh no…" Vanille said, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Do you remember what happened to the last person in our tribe to eat those berries? Remember how they showed them to us and made us promise to never eat them?" Fang asked, walking over to Vanille's side.

She nodded. "Yup. He was dead the next day. They said the poison got to him. What are we going to do, Fang?" Vanille asked, looking between Hope and Fang for answers.

"I don't know. He didn't eat that many. Maybe he'll be okay," Fang said tentatively. "We'll just have to keep an eye on him."

"That's what we always do!" Vanille protested.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Fang snapped and Vanille hung her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I'm just as worried as you are," she apologized. She walked over to Vanille and stroked the back of her head in an attempt to comfort her. "We'll figure something out if we have to."

"What is the matter with you?"

The two girls looked up to see Hope kicking at Quincy's side, urging the bird to move forward. Instead, he was staring directly at Fang and Vanille.

"Can he…see us?" Vanille asked as she walked up to the bird who took two steps back. "Woah!" she exclaimed, surprised by Quincy's retreat.

"I guess he can. We've had animals react to our presence before, but never so directly. What a smart bird," Fang praised, stepping from side to side and watching as the bird followed her with his eyes. "This could work to our advantage."

Hope let out a loud sigh which was followed closely by a cough. He reached up and placed his hands on both sides of his throat, gently feeling his glands. "Let's get going, Quin. I'm not feeling well," he said, giving the bird a final kick to the side that finally made him move forward.

"I guess we should follow them then?" Vanille suggested.

"Yes, lets," Fang agreed and the two girls followed closely behind.

* * *

Hope felt as if acid were eating away at the walls of his stomach. About ten minutes into riding, he had already thrown up twice. The lining of his throat burned and he could feel it swelling. It was getting even harder for him to breath and he could barely swallow his own saliva.

He wanted nothing more than to take a drink of water but he was too weak to make Quincy stop. The thirst was unbearable. All he could think about was water cooling off the fire in his throat.

_What was it? Was it the berries? I only ate a few though. How could four little berries affect me this badly? What am I going to-dammit._

He leaned over to the side of Quincy and gripped his feathers as he violently vomited into the grass. Quincy made a loud squawk of discontentment and slowed his walk.

"No, it's alright, Quin. Keep going. I'll be fine. We can't stop," he choked out. He tried to lift his legs to kick Quincy's sides but found he couldn't even do that. The rancid smell of vomit that permeated the air only made him hurl again.

Hope could feel his temperature rising as the poison continued to spread throughout his body. His abdominal muscles clenched and he doubled over in pain. He wrapped his arms tightly around Quincy's neck and the bird shook his head in protest.

"This…cannot be happening," he stammered and retched once more. This time he could see it was mixed with blood. "I am not going to let berries be the death of me," he moaned, clutching his stomach.

He clenched his eyes shut and when he opened them he let out a choking noise of surprise. Standing before him were Fang and Vanille and he saw the panicked expressions on their faces. That was the last thing he saw though; he passed out before he could get another look.

* * *

"Ooooh. This is bad!" Vanille whined, looking at Hope's limp figure. "He's a disaster. We've got to do something before he dies," she said, gripping onto her pigtails and shaking her head back and forth.

Fang paused for a moment, a finger pressed to her lips in contemplation. She had an idea. Granted, it was a crazy idea…just crazy enough to possibly work.

"I've got an idea," Fang said. "I'm not sure how it's going to work out or if it's even a good idea but it's the only chance we have right now at saving Hope. Vanille, do you know where we are right now?" Fang asked her panicked partner. Vanille looked around her surroundings and nodded her head. "Do you know where the closest civilization is?" Fang added and Vanille's mouth dropped.

"That's an excellent idea, Fang! Let's take him there! How though?" she asked and stared at Hope, her eyes full with concern. "We can't carry him ourselves."

"That's what the bird's for. We already established that he can see us. Let's try to get him to follow us. You go hop on his back, Vanille. I'll lead," Fang said and walked in front of Quincy. Vanille climbed up onto his back behind Hope and Quincy turned around to look at the girl he could see but couldn't feel. She nodded her head to let Fang know she was ready.

"Alright," Fang said and looked up at Quincy who stared back at her with a steadfast gaze. "I don't know you and you don't know me but as you can probably tell, your rider is in trouble. We are friends of him. We need you to follow us so we can get him help," she said, feeling a little foolish talking to the chocobo. She figured it was worth a shot though.

Fang took a slow step backwards followed by another. Her heart leapt when she saw Quincy lift his talons and take a step forward. She took another step back and he took one more forward. She couldn't believe that he had understood her. Well, maybe he didn't understand completely, but Fang knew that he was aware of the dire situation Hope was in.

"It worked!" Vanille exclaimed, patting Quincy's side.

"Yes," Fang said triumphantly. "Let's get him to safety."

* * *

Sometimes, the grass on her exposed skin really itched. Lightning readjusted her position and scratched her leg, leaving long red marks on her pale skin. She felt a whole lot better after itching it though.

Lightning was busy dropping beads onto string. She was making a friendship necklace for Melissa, as pathetic as that sounded. It was a tradition to exchange jewelry with those you were close with in Yampeir, or maybe it was just a Pulsian tradition in general. Lightning wasn't really close with anyone aside from Aaina and Melissa…and maybe Kobi on a good day. Maybe. She wasn't about to make jewelry for him though.

She held up the necklace to admire her work. It was made of mostly turquoise beads with the occasionally red scattered about. It wasn't the most beautiful necklace ever, but she figured that Melissa would appreciate the work she put in it anyway. It would be a good memento to remember her by too.

"You seem to be in a good mood lately," Melissa said, dropping a bead onto her own string. "Something happen?"

Lightning shook her head. "Nothing really. I just worked out some things from the past. I guess you could say that I'm happy to be walking on my own two feet again. That crutch was getting old," Lightning admitted and stretched her legs out. If it was one thing Lightning hated, it was being weak. She hated having to rely on something to function. Now if only her arm would heal completely, she'd be perfect.

"You looked pretty beat up when you first arrived. Your cuts are healing nicely too. You'll probably have some nice scars though," Melissa said, looking at a deep gash on Lightning's arm in particular. Lightning shrugged. She didn't care about scarring.

"Hey! What's that?" a nearby child asked, pointing off towards the horizon.

Lightning and Melissa stood up and looked in the direction the child was pointing in. In the distance they could see a small yellow dot.

"Is it a beast?" a man asked, grabbing a bow and arrow at his side.

"Should we kill it?"

"Wait…" Lightning said as the yellow dot began to increase in size. The whole village began to emerge from the homes and walked over to where Melissa and Lightning stood to get a better look. The children eagerly pushed each other and begged their parents to lift them up.

"It can't be," Melissa said, covering her mouth with her hand in shock. "How could a chocobo have gotten all the way out here?"

Lightning dropped her necklace and ran as fast as she could out into the field and towards the chocobo. Her mind was racing as she ran barefoot through the tall grass, her heart pounding in her chest so rapidly that she could hear it.

For a moment, time stood still as she saw silver hair swaying in the wind. It would have been fine if the hair was up right and tall. Instead, she felt every muscle in the body tense and her breathing halt as her eyes locked onto Hope's limp body that hung over the back of the chocobo.

_No. No. No. No. No. No. No._

She ran over to the chocobo who stopped in front of her. He sat down and allowed Lightning to pull Hope into her lap with her good arm. She raised her hand and brought two fingers up to his badly swollen neck. There was a pulse, but it was weak.

But there was a pulse.

"Somebody get the apothecary!"

* * *

AN: Not going to say much here about this chapter other than I had this planned pretty early on and made some minor adjustments. I apologize for the multiple perspective shifts. I'm not a huge fan of them, but this chapter called for it. I sure did love writing as Fang and Vanille. As much as Vanille annoys me, I find her tolerable around Fang.

Thank you all for the reviews. You guys are so incredibly awesome. :) I hope to have chapter 9 out soon!


	9. Wish Granted

Chapter 9

**Wish Granted**

* * *

Everything that happened after the moment Lightning felt Hope's pulse occurred in a blur. Between the apothecary and men taking Hope away for treatment and the many questions that followed, Lightning couldn't remember it all. It was all just one overwhelming memory that replayed over and over in her head like a tape recorder stuck on rewind. Even now, she couldn't believe what was happening. It was like living in a dream.

The sky was a serene baby blue sprinkled with cotton ball clouds. There was a slight breeze making the tall grass sway back and forth. Birds were singing cheerfully as they perched high up in the trees. Typically, the whole town would be out enjoying the cool air and sunny skies. That would be happening if today was just any other ordinary day. It wasn't often that Yampeir prepared for a funeral.

Lightning sat alone inside Aaian's dark cottage. That was all she was doing too, just sitting there. She kept her mind empty, like a blank slate. She couldn't bear to think of what happened in the past few hours. She couldn't think of him convulsing in front of her while her screams echoed in her head. She couldn't imagine the coldness of his hand as she tightly gripped it and called out his name. She couldn't recall the pulse she constantly checked, fading until it was no longer there.

A light knock echoed throughout the hut and Melissa opened the door with a solemn look on her face. Lightning stood up, unable to say anything. She was dressed from head to toe in dark black silk. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun at the base of her neck and she wore a matching silk veil clipped to her hair. It was the traditional attire of those who passed away in Yampeir. Only those closest to the departed could wear it.

Melissa held out her arm to her and Lightning linked her arm with hers. Lightning felt as if there were a knot in her chest that kept her from breathing. It was heavy and painful, almost as if it were eating away at her heart.

She wasn't sure how she managed to walk out of the hut and into the blindingly bright sunlight. Amidst all those dressed in light colors - tans, light blues and greens, soft browns - the black material of her dress stuck out like a red rose in a bouquet of white. She could feel the eyes of everyone glued to her.

No one spoke louder than a whisper as Lightning passed. The familiar laughing and singing of the village seemed like distant memories compared to the chilling whispers that replaced them. Everyone spoke of the lover who searched endlessly for Lightning only to die of poisoning upon reaching her. It was so tragic, how could they not? _Romeo and Juliet_ didn't live on for centuries solely because of their love. It did so because of their death.

Lightning kept her eyes closed as she walked. She didn't want to see the pitying faces of those she lived with. She didn't want them looking at her either. All she wanted to do was fade away so they couldn't see her.

It was all too much for her to handle. She felt as if she weren't alive but rather looking down at herself. Looking down and watching her miserable, remorseful, guilty, angry, empty, pathetic figure being guided by Melissa to the burial ground. There was nothing she could do but keep moving.

Finally, Lightning felt Melissa come to a halt. She slowly opened her eyes to see everyone standing around her in a great circle. She was standing in the same grassy spot where she was reunited with Hope. It seemed all too cruel to have her say goodbye at the place where her heart screamed 'hello'.

In front of her was a great hole around six feet deep. Lying next to that hole was Hope's body surrounded by the most beautiful flowers Lightning had ever seen. They were bright yellow and speckled with orange. They appeared to glow in the sunlight. He didn't look like he was gone. He just looked as if he were peacefully sleeping. Lightning couldn't tear her eyes off of his peaceful figure laying there surrounded by flowers. He looked just as he did when she left three years ago.

She pulled her arm free from Melissa's and slowly walked over to his body. All eyes followed her and watched as she kneeled down beside him. She reached out, her hand trembling furiously, and took his hand in hers. She brought her forehead down and rested it on top of the back of his palm.

_This is it, Lightning. This is where you say goodbye._

"I…I can't!" she choked out, feeling the long held back tears spill from her eyes. "I can't say goodbye!" she sobbed, clutching his hand close to her heart.

"Lightning… Lightning. Come on, Lightning. Wake up."

Lightning sat up, her heart racing in her chest. She looked at her hand and saw her fingers wrapped tightly around Hope's much bigger hand. She raised her free hand up to her cheeks and found them wet with tears. Aaina stood beside her, her white brows raised with concern and a frown on her face.

"You were crying in your sleep. Were you having a bad dream?" Aaina asked, walking over to the pitcher on the table and filling up a glass with water. She handed the water to Lightning and she took a large gulp. She started to feel a bit better as the cool water rushed down her throat.

"The worst," Lightning responded as she stared at Hope's chest rising and falling with every breath he took. She was quickly overcome with a huge sense of relief. The hand wrapped around hers was warm. "I guess I must have fallen asleep while watching him," she said, taking note of the chair pulled up to the animal fur covered cot he slept in.

"You were up watching him all night. I'm not surprised you fell asleep. You need your sleep too," Aaina said, smiling at Lightning and gently patting her back.

For the past two days, Hope had been in a state of somnolence. The apothecary was able to force antidotal medicine down Hope's swollen throat. It counteracted the poison he believed that Hope had consumed. His body would convulse for the following twenty four hours afterwards every few hours. It frightened Lightning so much to see it happen. It seemed to be occurring a lot less frequently since then though. Still, Hope remained in a deep, almost coma like sleep. The apothecary told her that she shouldn't worry and that it was just a result of the poison wearing off, but Lightning still refused to leave his side.

"Why don't you go take a longer nap in your bed?" Aaina suggested. "I promise to call you if he wakes up."

Lightning shook her head. "I appreciate the offer but I want to be the person he wakes up to. He's out here because of me. There's no reason for Hope to be out in the middle of nowhere if he weren't looking for me. This is my fault. I owe it to him to be here when he wakes up," Lightning explained and Aaina nodded in understanding.

There was a knock on the door and Melissa entered. It gave Lightning a chilling sense of Déjà vu as her dream was brought back to mind. She quickly pushed the thought away and smiled as Melissa walked over to her side.

"I'm going to go help the other women get dinner ready. You know where to find me if you need me," the older woman said with a smile. She walked out of the cabin and left the two girls alone.

Melissa pulled up another chair to Lightning's side and looked down at Hope's sleeping body.

"I can't believe it," she said, looking back from Lightning to Hope. "I can't believe he came all the way here looking for you. You must be really important to him, Lightning. I wish I had someone care enough about me to come all the way out here," Melissa said in awe.

"The idea of someone coming after me never crossed my mind," Lightning admitted, feeling a little foolish for not thinking of it before. She looked over at the sleek black gunblade that leaned against the wall beside his cot. "I never would have imagined him joining the Calvary either."

"You were a member of the Guardian Corps, right?" Melissa asked and Lightning nodded. "That's pretty sweet of him to follow in your footsteps in becoming a soldier," she added and Lightning felt herself blush a little. She looked down at his hand still in hers and let it go.

"Sooooo…" Melissa began mischievously.

"So…?" Lightning asked, her right eyebrow raised high in suspicion.

"Has he changed a lot since you last saw him? It's been three years, right? Did you expect him to be this handsome?" Melissa prodded while her eyes danced over the sleeping older Hope.

Lightning had to admit, he was no longer the boy she once knew. The body lying in front of her was undeniably the body of a man. His body was much longer and Lightning could already tell that he was taller than her. Even his feet hung off the ends of the cot. His silver hair still retained its signature frayed style, but was a bit longer with it trailing down the back of his neck more. She could see the well defined muscles of his stomach. The apothecary took his shirt off so it would be easier for him to breathe and so he wouldn't get too hot. There was nothing scrawny or weak about him now and it threw her off a bit.

"Stop looking at him like that," she scolded Melissa who giggled like a girl in high school.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized but continued admiring Hope's physique. "It's just that when there's eye candy, there's eye candy."

Lightning scoffed at the girl, reached over, and smacked the side of her head with her palm.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, rubbing where Lightning had hit her. "That wasn't very nice. I have no intentions of stealing your man. Geez."

"He's not my man," Lightning quickly interjected, feeling extremely uncomfortable by the conversation.

"Just your special someone," Melissa teased and Lightning shook her head. "Anyways, I'm gonna go out and get us some food. I'll be right back," she said, standing up and walking out of the cabin.

Lightning couldn't help but think about what Melissa had said. Hope was all grown up now and he came all this way just to find her. He put his life in danger just to see her again. Lightning couldn't believe that he had done all of that just for her. Why would he do that? Sure, they were close and he was special to her. But was he really willing to risk his life just to find her?

Still, just seeing him brought Lightning peace. After going three years without seeing anyone she was familiar with, seeing Hope made her happier than she has been in ages. She couldn't stand to be apart from him for longer than five minutes now that she was with him again. A part of that had to do with the fact that she wanted to be there when he woke up. A lot of it had to do with the fact that she missed him so much. It was rare for Lightning to want to be this close to anyone. She just couldn't help it after going so long without seeing him though.

She sat there for a moment, looking over him up and down. She tried to picture Hope as the young boy she knew and compared him to the young man in front of her. It was still undeniably Hope. He just seemed so much older. He looked like he was in his early twenties more than eighteen.

Lightning hesitantly raised her hand and brought it up to his head. She gently ran her fingers through his soft silver hair. The sensation of his silky fine hair sent shivers down her spine. She quickly withdrew her hand and wrapped it back around his. She could not help but notice how well their hands fit together. The size of it surprised her as well. Boys sure do grow up quickly in three years.

"Ahem."

Lightning didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. She quickly withdrew her hand from Hope's and turned a bright shade of red for having been caught.

"What is it, Kobi?" Lightning asked with her back facing him. She didn't want him to see her flushed face.

"Nothing. Just thought I'd bring you some dinner," he said, walking over to her and handing her a plate with some rice and some sort of meat in gravy.

"That's alright. Melissa is getting us food already. Thanks for bringing me some though," Lightning told him, careful not to make eye contact.

"About that, when I asked Melissa where you were, she shoved this plate at me, pointed here, and walked away. She's been ignoring me for the past few days. You wouldn't have any idea why, would you?"

Lightning rolled her eyes. Oh, Melissa.

"Not the slightest," Lightning said. She took the plate from him and scooped up some rice with the fork. The last thing she wanted to do was play matchmaker. She didn't have any experience with romance as it was. Sure, Lightning could hint about Melissa's crush on him that everyone but Kobi knew about. She didn't feel that it was her place though.

"How strange…" Kobi said and his lips pursed as he thought it over. "Anyway…how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Just waiting for him to wake up is all."

"This is him then? Your special someone?" Kobi asked and Lightning nodded. He put his hands on his hips, let out a loud sigh, and shook his head. "Well, I don't know how I'm supposed to compete with that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lightning asked as she glared at him. She didn't understand him. She couldn't see why he couldn't be more straightforward with her. She was sick of his little games.

"I like you, Lightning. I've always liked you," he told her, staring her straight in the eye. Lightning wasn't one to back down from an optical showdown, but she couldn't stand the intensity in his emerald green eyes. She hadn't expected him to be _that _straightforward.

"I don't know what to say…" she told him. Melissa had her suspicions about Kobi's feelings for her, but Lightning always shrugged them off to her being paranoid since she had a thing for him herself. "You don't know anything about me, Kobi."

"That's shit, Lightning. I know plenty about you. I know you're tough and headstrong. I know you put up a cold demeanor because you're afraid to let people get close to you. I know you're dedicated and passionate. I also know that you have a gentle side that you rarely show but when you do, it's amazing. That's why I can't help but like you," he admitted with pleading eyes. She couldn't look at him. She felt guilty and uncomfortable. Why was he so blind? Why was he so convinced that she was right for him? She couldn't be more wrong for him.

"You don't have to say anything now. You don't have to say anything at all. I just want you to know that until you leave, I'm not about to give up on you," he said and with one final glance at Lightning, he left.

"Persistence will get him nowhere," Lightning mumbled under her breath. She put her plate on the wooden table behind her, her appetite completely gone now. She let out a loud yawn and stretched her arms high above her head. She then rested her head down on the edge of the cot beside Hope and closed her eyes.

* * *

The first thing that hit him as Hope slid back into consciousness was the pain in his stomach. It felt as if someone had taken a baseball bat and swung it at his stomach multiple times.

That pain was quickly forgotten as Hope opened his eyes. You know that feeling you get when it's Christmas morning and you run downstairs to see the present you wanted more than anything else? At that moment, that's how Hope felt when his eyes landed on Lightning, only magnified by ten.

Her head was rested on her arm and her entire body was hunched over his cot. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Hope reached out and gently placed his hand on top of her soft hair.

"Please, don't let this be a dream. Please," he whispered. Even with the pain in his stomach proving to him that he wasn't dreaming, he still wasn't convinced.

Suddenly, Lightning gave a small moan of waking up. She reached up and touched Hope's hand that was still on top of her head. She slowly lifted her head up and looked Hope directly in his blue-green eyes.

"Hope!" she exclaimed and lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Despite the pain he felt under the pressure of her body, he returned the hug and held her tightly to him, taking the opportunity to breathe in her sweet scent.

"I guess birthday wishes do come true," he said with a small laugh.

She pulled away and gave him a confused look. "What?"

"For my eighteenth birthday I wished that I would be able to find you," he admitted and a sheepish grin spread across his face. "It looks like I got my wish. Although I'm not quite sure how I got here…or where we are for that matter," he said, looking around the hut and then back at Lightning.

"You're in the village of Yampeir. Your chocobo brought you to me half dead. You nearly gave me a heart attack. What were you thinking eating unfamiliar plants, Hope?"

"What were you thinking leaving us the way you did?" Hope rebutted as his face turned completely serious.

Lightning fell silent and she dropped her gaze. Hope saw her swallow and let out a small sigh.

"I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for what I put everyone through. I can't apologize for looking for a way to save Vanille and Fang. That was something I had to do and I did my very best. I realize it's time for me to go home now though. There isn't anything more that I can do," she said and Hope took her hand in his. She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide with surprise.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything alone ever again. You should have known that we would have helped you."

"I didn't want to drag you in. You had a life with your father. Serah had Snow. Sazh had Dajh. I didn't want to be selfish and take their happiness away. I thought it was something that I could figure out on my own," Lightning admitted, desperately trying to explain her reasoning to him.

"We're your friends, Light. You've got to learn to rely on us a bit more. We're always going to be there for you," Hope told her. He understood where she was coming from. If anything, a note explaining what she was doing would have been appreciated.

"I'm sorry," she apologized once more. Hope could hear in her voice how much she meant it too.

"It's okay. I'm just happy to have found you," he admitted, letting go of her hand and rubbing the back of his neck. "Although, being brought to you sick on my chocobo wasn't a very heroic way of doing it. Definitely not the way I imagined it happening."

"No, but it was very you," she said with a smile. That very smile that Hope spent countless nights dreaming about.

"Are you calling me weak?" he asked with a mock glare.

"And if I am?" Lightning asked, laughing a bit and he rolled his eyes.

"I missed you, Light," he confessed, changing the atmosphere completely.

For a moment, the two of them were completely silent. So much had happened and so much had changed. Yet, the two of them remained connected. Hope was captivated by Lightning's brilliant blue eyes that always appeared cold but became warm when she smiled. He was never happier to be in the presence of another person. He felt that way when he was fourteen and he felt that way now. It was just the affect Lightning had on him and it really proved to him how much he cared about her.

"I missed you too," she said and smiled at him. "You've changed so much."

"You've missed a few things," he said and she chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess I have. You'll fill me in on everything though, right?" she asked, a brief flash of worry crossing over her face.

"Of course."

The door opened and an older woman stepped in the hut. She had thick, snow white hair that came down past her shoulders and naturally tanned skin. Her wrinkles were etched deeply in her face but Hope thought she wore them well. A toothy smile spread across her face at the sight of them.

"Good morning, young man. You had Lightning very worried about you, yes you did. Are you feeling better?" she asked, walking over to the pair.

"Much. I appreciate you taking such good care of me. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Well, you would have died, of course!" she exclaimed and Hope's eyes widened due to the woman's frankness. "It's a good thing your bird found his way here," she said. "I'm Aaina. Lightning's been living here with us for awhile. You're more than welcome to stay as well."

"Thank you. We'll stay until we're well enough to make it back home. We've got a lot of people waiting for our return," he said and the woman smiled at him.

"I'm sure you do. Well, I'm off to bed. I'm sure Lightning will gladly offer her help if you need anything. She'll be able to answer any questions you have as well. Goodnight," she said and disappeared down the hall and into her bedroom.

"So…got any questions?" Lightning asked with a smug smile.

"Do I ever," Hope replied.

They both did. That night, they stayed up late asking each other about everything they missed out on. Although secretly, they both just wanted to hear the sound of each other's voice more than anything.

* * *

"Well now, that worked out splendidly," Fang said as Vanille watched Lightning and Hope catch up with each other. Fang smiled as their laughter filled the cabin.

"Didn't it?" Vanille agreed, smiling at her two friends. "I'm glad they can be together again."

"Think Hope will ever tell her how he feels?" Fang asked and Vanille giggled.

"I don't know. Do you think Lightning ever will?" Vanille wondered as she watched Lightning scoff at a bad pun Hope made.

"I don't think either of them is aware of how they really feel yet," Fang said and Vanille nodded in agreement. "We'll just have to watch and see how things go. I'm just happy Hope survived his poisoning. We did good, Vanille," Fang said proudly, tossing her arm around Vanille's shoulder.

"You bet we did!" Vanille agreed.

Fang took one last look at the two of them and motioned for Vanille to leave. She walked straight out of the cabin through the wall. Doors became obsolete when you didn't have a body.

Still, Vanille watched for a moment longer as Hope and Lightning talked, clearly seeing the chemistry flowing between them.

"Maybe this play will have a happy ending after all," she said with a smile before following Fang.

* * *

AN: Long chapter is long! Yay! I hope I'm not updating too quickly. It's summer so I don't have a life outside of the summer classes I'm taking. As a result, lots of time to write. I'm happy to have Hope and Lightning finally be reunited. Now I can fangirl over their interactions like an idiot. I'm so pathetic.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks to everyone who reveiwed and to those who caught my silly mistakes. There will probably be even more of them in this chapter since it is so long. Woe is me.


	10. Mine First

Chapter 10

**Mine First**

* * *

Hope didn't consider himself to be what you'd call the 'jealous type'. But then again, he didn't have much to be jealous over until now. Hope couldn't help but find that he desperately wanted to pull Kobi's eyes out and squeeze them into jelly.

"What's wrong?" Lightning asked as she pulled her needle through the piece of cloth in her hand. "You look as if you are about to kill something."

Hope shook his head and smiled at her. "It's nothing," he said and went back to sharpening the arrows he made. Ever since arriving in Yampeir a week ago, he found he had a talent for making and working with weapons.

"You were always a bad liar, Hope," Lightning said lightly, a smug smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Hope looked away and didn't respond. What was he going to say? That he was sick of Kobi's eyes being glued to Lightning while he worked at repairing one of the huts? Lightning didn't need to know how badly it bothered him.

For the most part, Hope's experience at Yampeir was turning out to be a pleasant one. The village made him an orange and brown short sleeve shirt decorated with symbols unique to their village. They also gave him matching brown shorts and two strips of leather that he tied around his waist to keep them up. He was able to keep his comfortable leather boots. Hope thought he looked a little foolish wearing the Pulsian garb, but Lightning insisted that if she had to wear it, he did too. He didn't tell her that he thought that she looked a whole lot better in her skirt and midriff-bearing top than he did.

"Hey, guys!" Melissa greeted with a wave as she walked over towards Hope and Lightning. "How long have you two been working? Aren't you tired by now? I gave up an hour ago. This heat is unbearable," she told Hope as she fanned herself with her hand.

Hope liked Melissa. It was hard not to like her. She was upbeat without being annoyingly perky. She was a good listener and it didn't take her long to figure out Hope's feelings for Lightning. In fact, it only took her a few days.

* * *

"Your staring is pretty obvious, but I hear I'm not much better," Melissa said one night during dinner. Lightning had just left to get some food for them. Hope obviously watched her as she left.

"What are you talking about?" Hope asked, hoping that playing dumb would make her think that she was just seeing things.

"Nice try. You've got it bad for the pink haired lady, don't cha?" Melissa teased and Hope could feel his face turning red. "Well, I guess that makes sense. You wouldn't go searching for someone in the middle of nowhere if they weren't special to you, right?" she asked and Hope knew that there was no way to keep her from finding out.

"Please don't tell her," he choked out, looking down at his hands in his lap.

"Why don't you?"

"Because we haven't seen each other for such a long time. I was a kid the last time she saw me. I don't know if she can look at me as anything more than that," Hope said with a sigh. Who knew if Lightning would ever look at Hope differently? He didn't want her to see him as a kid. He wanted her to see him for the man he was.

"Oh, I don't know about that. She talked about you a lot," Melissa told him and Hope's eyes widened in shock.

"She did? What did she say?" Hope desperately asked. Lightning talked about him? That was a good sign.

"And why should I tell you? What do I get out of it?" Melissa asked with a sneer and tossed her wavy red hair over her shoulder.

Hope paused and thought for a second. What could he possibly do for Melissa that would make her tell him? He didn't have anything worth giving her and he wouldn't be able to take over her duties as he didn't know the first thing about sewing. What did he know about her? Not much. All he really knew was that she was good friends with Lightning and that she liked…

"I'll help you out with Kobi!" Hope quickly offered without a second thought.

Melissa choked on the water she was drinking. She pounded on her chest while she coughed. The sounds emitting from her throat slightly resembled a cat choking on a hair ball.

"You okay?" Hope asked and gently patted her back.

"I'm fine," she said weakly, waving a hand at him. "Water just went down the wrong way, and a lot of it. What do you mean by 'help me out with Kobi'?" she asked, quickly directing the conversation back towards his offer.

"Well, you like him, right?" Hope wasn't an idiot. Sure he could be a tad bit dense at times, but Melissa's feelings were pretty obvious. Apparently just as obvious as his feelings for Light. They were quite the pair. "I was just thinking that maybe we should team up. You help me out with Light and I'll help you out with Kobi," Hope proposed. He had watched movies where girls would often help others girls out with the guys they liked. Hope figured that maybe he could do it too.

Melissa was silent for a moment as she digested Hope's offer. "Well, you'd probably help me more than Lightning. She doesn't want to have anything to do with my situation with Kobi. Alright, you have yourself a deal," she said and extended her hand to Hope. He took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Alright, now what did Light say about me?" he said and leaned in closer.

"Well, she referred to you as her 'special someone'," Melissa said with a small giggle and Hope could feel his temperature rising. He was pretty sure his face was turning the color of a radish.

"You're lying."

"I'm just telling you what she said. If we're going to be a team then we need to be honest with each other and I swear, that's what she called you," Melissa said and patted the top of his head. "You're cute when you're flustered."

Hope wacked her hand off and she laughed. Hope was lost in an abyss of confusion. What did Light mean by that? Light would always be _his _special someone but did she considering him to be _her _special someone in the same sense? Of course they were special to each other, but in what way? In the way that friends were special, or something more? Hope was beyond the realm of confusion and deep in the land of bewilderment.

"Sorry I took so long. There was a long line, like always," Lightning said when she returned and handed Hope his plate. He tried to avoid her eyes and kept his head down as best as he could. "What's wrong with you? Your face is red. Did you get sun burnt?" she asked and sat down next to him.

"No. I'm just feeling a little warm," Hope muttered under his breath and took a bite of his food while Melissa had a giggling fit next to him.

"You're doing that poor lying thing again," Lightning said and took a bite of her own meal. Hope couldn't figure out why she saw through everything.

"I'll do my best to improve. It's nothing, really," he said and she shrugged. Thankfully she didn't bring it up again.

* * *

Hope was brought back to reality as Lightning gave him a light shove.

"Having fun in dream land?" she asked with a small grin.

"Oh, yeah, the heat. It's pretty bad," Hope said and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. He honestly wasn't even sure if they were still discussing the weather but he figured it would be safe to return to the topic he last remembered. "Is it always this bad here?"

Melissa shook her head. "No, not really. We have periods of cool weather and periods of hot weather. We just entered a hot period is all," she said and took a seat beside the two of them.

"I wish there was an ocean nearby," Lightning said absently mindedly as she put down her sewing needles and looked up at the clear blue sky. "Back in Bodhum we would just jump into the ocean if things got too hot. It was pretty convenient," she said and Hope knew that she really did miss her home. It made him sad too because he had wanted to watch the sunset with her. He imagined there would be other sunsets though.

"What about the spring?"

The three spun around to see Kobi standing right behind them topless. His perfectly chiseled and tan chest was gleaming with sweat. Hope tried not to throw up.

"What spring?" Lightning asked and Hope couldn't help but be annoyed that her interest was piqued. Which in turn only made him frustrated with himself. Why was he acting like this? "You can't be talking about Suulya."

"Suulya Springs isn't the only spring on Gran Pulse, you know," he said with a wide smile.

"We should go!" Melissa exclaimed, hopping to her feet. "I've only been there once last year, but it was amazing! The water is so nice and cool," she said and a dreamy expression crossed her face as she slightly swayed back and forth.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll go tell my mom. We'll leave in twenty minutes. Make sure you pack a dry change of clothes. We've got sleeping bags covered," Kobi quickly rattled off as he ran towards Aaina's hut.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Melissa shouted excitedly and Lightning sighed and shook her head. Hope smiled at the two of them. Although he wasn't happy about going on a trip with Kobi, he really didn't feel like working anymore.

"Let's go pack, Lightning," Melissa said and she bent over and tugged on Lightning's arm. "We'll meet you back here in a bit," she said to him and he nodded. Lightning shot Hope an apologetic look before allowing herself to be tugged away by Melissa.

Hope stood up and walked over to where Quincy was lying in the shade of a nearby hut. The bird was happily lounging around and Hope suspected that he was happy not having children crawling over him. The whole village had been fascinated by him. Many of them had never seen a chocobo before. Hope was thankful that he had been so patient with everyone.

"Hey there, Quin," Hope said and crouched down to stroke the bird's neck. Hope was doing his best to be extra nice to Quincy. After all, he did save his life. He owed everything to him and he was real grateful that Sazh picked him to be his companion.

Quincy lazily opened one eye and stared up at Hope so he knew he had his attention.

"I'm going to be gone for a day or two. You stay here, alright?" Hope asked and looked for some sign of understanding. Quincy shut his eye and went back to his nap. Hope wasn't too worried. He knew that they would take care of him. The kids were so eager to do it that he didn't have to do it himself.

Hope went into Aaina's cabin and found his bag and gunblade next to his bed. He secured his holster around his back and slid his gunblade into it. He wasn't about to go out into the wilderness without it. He didn't have any other clothes that resembled the rest of the village but he figured it wouldn't be a big deal if he wore his old clothes with the three of them.

He stuffed a change of clothes, a towel, and his canteen in a smaller backpack and pulled it on. He left the cabin and went back to their meeting place to see that Lightning was already ready with an animal skin pouch on her back. She always was quick when it came to getting ready.

"Are you going to be okay with your arm?" Hope asked when he stood next to her. Lightning had explained that she found Yampeir after being attacked by a large fiend. Part of Hope was happy that he didn't see the extent of her injuries. It would have made him feel far too guilty.

"It's still a little tender. I'll be fine if I take it easy though," she said with a reassuring smile. "I'm just glad I don't have to wear the sling anymore. My crutch was the worst though."

"I'm sorry you got hurt, Light."

"I'm sorry you ate poisonous berries and nearly died," she teased and reached up to ruffle his hair. He smiled, but he couldn't help but be concerned. They were acting like they had before. Hope was thankful for this but at the same time, he didn't want her treating him like some kid.

"Nice gunblade," Lightning said with a smug smile as she eyed it on his back. Hope noticed that she had hers with her as well.

"Yeah," he said and pulled it out. It gleamed under the sunlight and he could see his reflection on the metal. "It's pretty special to me. Guess it isn't too heavy for me now," he said with a proud smile spread across his face.

"You remember that?" Lightning asked and the surprise in her voice was clearly evident.

"I remember everything you told me, Light," Hope honestly told her. Without realizing it, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You made a huge impression on me when I was younger."

"I…I guess I didn't realize it," Lightning admitted and stared into his eyes for a moment. He felt a chill rush down his spine at her intense gaze. It wasn't hostile by any means. It looked more as if she were trying to figure him out.

"You're not the same boy I once knew," she stated and Hope shook his head.

"No, I'm not."

"Are we interrupting?" Melissa said as she and Kobi approached them. _Yes, yes you are_, Hope thought bitterly. They were obviously interrupting and Hope felt a little twinge of annoyance.

"No. You're not. Did you make sure it was okay that we leave?" Lightning asked Kobi who shook his head.

"Mom said it was fine. She even seemed excited. Sometimes she feels guilty for working us so hard," Kobi told them.

Hope saw that Kobi had a very large bag on his back with four sleeping bags secured on top of each other. The bags were wrapped as tightly as they possibly could so they wouldn't take up as much space.

"Shall we get going?" Melissa asked and Kobi nodded.

Kobi looked up at the sky to check the positioning of the sun. "It's nearly noon. If we walk without any breaks we can be there by three which will give up some good swimming time before nightfall."

"Do you know how to get there?" Lightning asked with a skeptical look.

"More or less," Kobi said with a wink and started walking off.

"Wait for me!" Melissa called out and dashed after Kobi.

Hope glanced over at Lightning. They stared at each other for a moment before Lightning broke her gaze and began following the two of them. Hope didn't know what was going to happen, but he had an uncanny feeling that something would.

* * *

Drops of sweat dripped down their faces as they walked under the blazing sun. They had been walking for a good two hours through what seemed to be endless fields of tall green grass. The air around them was still and dry. Hope wished that he had Quincy with him. It would have made the travel so much easier, and not to mention quicker.

"How much longer until we get there, Kobi?" Melissa asked. Out of all of them, she was having the hardest time. Hope and Lightning were used to traveling for long periods in all sorts of weather conditions. Kobi was a skilled hunter and spent a lot of his time searching for food. Melissa didn't have the stamina everyone else had.

"It shouldn't be too long from now. When we hit the forest, it'll be about thirty more minutes," Kobi told her and just as he did, a large gathering of trees appeared in the distance in front of them.

"Oh thank you, Goddess," Melissa rejoiced.

Hope felt instantly relieved by the shade the trees provided when he reached the forest. It felt at least ten degrees cooler. His comfort didn't last though when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Light. Did you see that?" he asked and she nodded. The both of them drew out their gunblades, ready to fight off what was lurking nearby.

"Woah…" Melissa muttered under her breath.

"Stand behind us," Lightning ordered as she moved in front of Melissa and Kobi.

"Thanks, but I don't need your help to take care of a little fiend," Kobi said and Lightning shot him a glare.

"Now is not the time to be self-righteous, Kobi. Just shut up and do as I say," she said and raised her gunblade.

Hope carefully surveyed the area, knowing that it was not his chocobo lurking in the shadows this time around. Hope was barely able to see the beasts lunge at him, noticing just in time to react to the attack. It was all a blur to him. He barely had a chance to notice that they were a pair of amams. They were fast and their golden hides were tough. His eyes were focused on the long, piercing fangs of the one in front of him. He knew that if his arm fell into its mouth, he'd lose it completely. He took a few carefully executed swings with his blade. He finished it off with several furious blows after he caught it off guard. His blade and the front of his shirt and pants were spattered with blood when it was over. He looked up at Lightning to see that she was covered in just as much blood as he was. In front of her lay a completely decapitated fiend, its head barely hanging onto the spine. Close combat was not a clean business.

"Not bad," she said with a proud smile as she looked at the dead beast in front of Hope.

"The way you two fight…it looks exactly the same. That was amazing!" Melissa exclaimed in awe as she stared at the fiends they brought down.

"I spent a lot of time watching the best," Hope said as he looked over at Lightning. He saw her eyes widened in shock at the compliment before she looked down and away bashfully.

"We should get going. There are probably more where those two came from," Lightning said and stuck her gunblade back in its holster.

Hope turned to Kobi. It was easy to notice when he was quiet but the look he was giving made Hope sick to his stomach. There was so much admiration in Kobi's eyes. Hope couldn't help but be reminded of himself when he first saw Lightning's abilities.

"Are you coming or are you just going to stand there and stare?" Lightning snapped at Kobi who immediately dropped the awed expression and nodded his head in affirmation.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thought. It's right over this way," Kobi said, pointing east. The four of them rushed off in that direction. The last thing they wanted was to run into more beasts.

After about twenty minutes, they came to a dead end. In front of them was a large stone blocking the entrance to the side of the cliff. Kobi pushed the rock aside with ease, his impressive muscles tensing as they worked. Melissa bent over and inspected the hole that was revealed. It was about three feet tall and looked extremely tight.

"Are you sure we're going to be able to make it through there?" Lightning asked, giving Kobi a skeptical look.

"Just watch," he said and dropped to all fours. Hope couldn't help but smile at the sight. He kind of looked like a dog groveling at Light's feet.

Kobi crawled into the hole and they waited for a moment. "Come on!" he called, his voice muffled by the stone between them.

Melissa was the next to follow who was then followed by Lightning and Hope close behind her. Although there wasn't much light in the stone tunnel they crawled through, Hope could still make out the outline of Lightning's backside in front of him. He tried not to stare and often dropped his gaze, but he was an eighteen year old male with an ass directly in front of him. Not looking at least once or twice was pretty much impossible.

Hope crawled out of the tunnel and dusted the dirt off of his knees. When he looked up, he was speechless. All around them were many rivers that came to an end above them, creating beautiful waterfalls that fell into a giant pool of crystal water. Dark rocks were piled high around them and remained above the water level. The sides of the spring were lined with green grass that Hope's feet sunk into with every step he took. The majority of the spring was cast in shadow as the high cliffs blocked the sunlight.

"It kind of reminds me of Suulya. Wouldn't you agree, Hope?" Lightning asked as she stepped onto a rock that had been eroded so much that it was flat.

"It does," he said in agreement. "Only without a fal'Cie," he added with a smile.

"You've been to Suulya too?" Kobi quickly asked Hope.

"We traveled together," Lightning responded as she sat down on the stone and began unbuckling her sandals.

"So that means…"

"Yes. That would be correct," Lightning said and Hope felt a little lost. Did Kobi know that they used to be l'Cie? Hope already knew all about Yampeir and how their people used to be l'Cie as well, Kobi included, but he had a feeling that Lightning didn't want to discuss it.

"Enough with the chit-chat. Can we swim now? Isn't that what we came here to do?" Melissa asked impatiently as she pulled off her beaded shirt to reveal a tan bra that tied around her neck and back.

"Of course," Kobi said and took off his shorts. Underneath he wore cotton underwear that had been dyed red. He jumped into the water with a large splash and Melissa followed.

Hope and Lightning exchanged an uncomfortable glance at the other's indecent behavior. They weren't used to stripping in front of others.

Hope smiled reassuringly at her. "Come on. Let's go swim," he said and took his own shirt and pants off. He felt instantly cooler with the lack of clothing. He was thankful he had brought enough of his own underwear so that he wouldn't have to wear the ones from the village. His own dark green boxers contrasted against Kobi's, but he felt comfortable in them.

He looked over to see Lightning standing in her own matching dark blue bra and panties. Compared to Melissa, her underwear actually looked like underwear and it made Hope flush a bit. He tore his eyes off of her and looked over at Kobi who was eying her like she was a piece of steak. Hope scowled.

"Bet I can make it to the other side first!" Hope challenged, and Lightning grinned, clearly excited by the challenge presented.

"You're on!" she exclaimed and dove into the water. Hope leapt in right after her.

Jumping into the cool water after suffocating in the sweltering heat was like being able to breathe again. He felt all his muscles loosen as he swam after Lightning. His long arms extended above his head as he kicked with all his strength. There wasn't any way that he'd let Lightning win easily. He caught up to her and for a while they were swimming side by side. Hope could see the determination on her face as she put all her effort into beating him. At the end, they both slapped their hands on the rock opposite their starting point at the same time.

"Who won?" Lightning softly asked. Her chest was rising and falling quickly and Hope could tell that she was just as out of breath as he was.

"You did."

"No, I didn't," she shook her head, "it was a tie," she said with a small smile. "I didn't imagine a day when you'd be my equal. I guess training you as a kid paid off. Pretty soon you'll surpass me."

"Maybe, but I couldn't have done it without you," Hope admitted and swam off over towards Melissa.

"That was pretty good," she whispered as she looked over towards Lightning. "Thanks for thinking of a way to get her into the water. I was getting annoyed with the way Kobi was looking at her," Melissa said through pursed lips.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Hope agreed.

"What are you two talking about?" Kobi asked as he swam up beside of them.

"What's it to you, Kobi?" Melissa teased and splashed him with a face full of water. Kobi spat the water out and splashed Melissa back with twice the amount of water. Hope laughed when he himself was unexpectedly splashed from behind. He turned around to see Lightning grinning mischievously at him.

"You're so gonna get it now," Hope said and dashed forward in the water. He placed his hands on the sides of Lightning's waist and lifted her up out of the water and into the air. Hope saw a quick flash of surprise spread across her face as he pulled her close to him and then threw her into the water. She reemerged a second later and whipped the water out of her eyes. She slowly raised her head and looked Hope square in the eye. She didn't say a word. Hope saw the corner of her lip raise slightly in a half-smile before she lunged for him.

Hope fell backwards into the water under her weight and she went under with him. He opened his eyes as he fell deeper into the water. Lightning still had her hands clamped tightly on his shoulders and her face was only an inch or two away from his. The water was clear enough to allow him to see the outline of her face and her pink locks of hair floating around her. Without thinking, he reached up and placed his hand on her cheek and for a moment, they gazed at each other in their own private ocean.

The moment ended when the need for oxygen kicked in. Hope removed his hand from her cheek and pointed up to the surface. Lightning nodded her head and they both kicked up towards the surface.

Hope took a large breath of air and felt immense relief the moment oxygen filled his lungs. He looked over to see Lightning pushing her hair out of her face. She was only half facing him and her head was tilted away. Still, he could see that her face was flushed.

"You two have amazing breath holding skills. I was worried that I'd have to dive in and save you!" Melissa said with a smile on her face as she approached them. "What's wrong with you, Lightning? Your face is all red," Melissa pointed out as she swam in front of her friend with a look of concern.

"It's nothing. Just the lack of oxygen is all," Lightning dismissed, swimming away from them and towards the opposite side of the spring.

Hope couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. He looked over his right shoulder to see Kobi staring at him intensely a few feet away. While it wasn't a hostile stare, Hope knew perfectly well what it meant. He was giving him a warning. It was the look men gave to others to nonverbally tell them to back off their girl. Hope had no intentions of doing that. After all, Light was his first.

"What is it?" Hope asked, playing dumb.

Kobi shook his wet head, sending droplets of water flying around him. "It's nothing," he said and swam past Hope.

Hope wished that he could believe him. Things would be so much easier without him having a rival for Light's affection. Even though he had a feeling that Lightning didn't feel the same way about Kobi as he did for her, he couldn't help but still be worried. Kobi was tall, strikingly handsome, well built, had chest hair, and the most threatening aspect: he was older. How could he compete against _that_?

He looked over at Lightning to see her standing underneath one of the many waterfalls. Her eyes were closed as the water rushed over her shoulders. She looked so tranquil. He looked over at Kobi to see that he was staring at her as well. He turned his head and their eyes locked. Hope felt his eyes narrow slightly. There was no way he was going to let Kobi steal her away from him. Not after coming this far just to find her. If this was war, so be it. He would not lose.

* * *

AN: Hi, everyone. I want to apologize for not having updated in a month. I didn't plan on having it take this long but with two vacations and a family crisis, I didn't have much time to get writing done. Evey thing is more or less fine now and I plan on getting back to this story. I finished up Red and White which is another HopexLight fic I wrote so if you haven't check that out, I highly suggest you do. :) Yes, that was a self plug.

I'm also sorry for not responding to all of your wonderful comments! I haven't had the chance to but I promise that I read every single one of them and will be better at responding from now on. My second beta who I totally disappeared on (so sorry!) has not read this yet so it'll probably have some errors that my first beta missed. So I hope you don't mind them for the time being.

Super apologies for the delay and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Love,  
Val (These end notes are getting longer and longer...)


	11. Unlocked

Chapter 11

**Unlocked**

* * *

He stood there in the water and waited for them to emerge. At the moment, he didn't think the water surrounding him could get any colder.

"Do…do you think they're alright?" Melissa asked and looked up at him, a flash of panic glazing over her chocolate brown eyes.

"I think they're better than alright," he heard himself say bitterly.

Melissa's face fell and she swam away from him and went closer to where Hope and Lightning had fallen.

_What's taking them so long? Why are they spending so much time underwater together? How much time has passed? Why can't I move?_ Kobi wondered as he continued to stare at the water. He took a deep breath as bubbles appeared on the surface of the water. A second later, they broke the surface with a splash.

He couldn't tear his eyes off of them as they both gasped for breath. He couldn't help but notice how red Lightning's face was. When Melissa questioned her about it, he scoffed at her obvious lie. _Lack of oxygen? It doesn't turn you red, sweetie. Try blue. _

Kobi looked from Lightning to Hope. He couldn't help but be irritated. What did he have that he didn't? He certainly wasn't stronger than him. How could a kid like him protect Lightning? Sure, he was good with his little sword-rifle thing, but could he build her a hut? Kill a bear for her? Kobi knew that his looks were subpar compared to his. He had a whole slew of women waiting for him to marry them back in the village. None of them were up to his standards though. Not by a long shot.

_Now, Lightning,_ he thought as his eyes switched to her. _She's a real woman._ Kobi couldn't think of one thing he didn't like about her. She was strong and determined. She wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind and she continually put him in his place. She didn't show off and beg for his attention like every other girl he knew. In fact, she was the first woman he had ever been interested in since…

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. That was a bad road to go down. He turned his attention back to Hope and couldn't help but feel resentment. He didn't have anything against the boy personally. In Kobi's eyes, he seemed alright. It was just the fact that he was standing between him and getting to know Lightning better. He knew that Hope wouldn't stay and if Hope left, Lightning would no doubtedly follow.

"What is it?" Hope asked when he looked over his shoulder.

Kobi shook his head. "It's nothing," he lied and swam past him. He couldn't stand having the boy's eyes on him.

He let out a soft sigh as he stood up. Things would be so much easier if he didn't have Hope as a rival. Having him come out of the blue on the back of a chocobo wasn't helping his chances with Lightning. How was he going to compete with a guy who risked his life searching for her? It was pretty much the ultimate portrayal of devotion.

His eyes skimmed across the water and over to where Lightning stood underneath the water. Kobi couldn't tear his eyes off of her as he watched the water slide down her pink hair and pale skin. Her face was calm and gentle. It contrasted with the cold and stern expression he had gotten used to. He knew there was more to her and, more than anything, he just wanted to see it.

A chill ran down Kobi's spine. He wasn't sure why, but he had an uncanny feeling urging him to turn around. When he did, his eyes connected with Hope's. He watched as the boy glared at him. Kobi couldn't help but smirk. He was challenging him. Challenge accepted.

Kobi swam over to Hope and smiled at the boy. Hope's face remained expressionless.

"Come on. We really should collect some wood for the fire tonight before it gets dark," Kobi told him and motioned to the sun that was significantly lower in the sky than it had been an hour ago. "We'll let the girls enjoy the water a bit more."

"That sounds like a good idea," Hope said and Kobi was pleased that he agreed. It would make things much easier.

"Hey, Melissa! We're gonna go get some fire wood. We'll be back soon!" he called over to her and she nodded her head in affirmation.

"Be careful, Hope. Make sure you take your gunblade with you," Lightning told him as she swam over towards them. Kobi couldn't help but hear the undeniable hint of concern in her voice.

"He's a big boy, Lightning," Kobi said, clapping his hand on Hope's scrawny shoulder and Hope flinched. "I'll make sure to look after him."

"That's not very reassuring," Lightning told him and nodded at Hope.

"We'll be fine. I'll be back soon," Hope said and swam towards the shore. Kobi smiled at Lightning, who continued to give him a suspicious stare, before swimming after Hope.

Kobi climbed out of the water and walked over to the entrance. He dropped down and crawled through the tight hole to the other side. A second later, Hope appeared with his gunblade in hand. His silver hair was plastered to his forehead and Hope gave his head a quick shake to loosen it.

He led them over to an area not too far from the entrance. It had a lot of broken pieces of bark and wood scattered in the short grass. It was already getting dark in the forest as the tall trees blocked the sun. Kobi was just thankful for how cool it was. He could already feel the water on his body drying and it left him at a comfortable temperature.

The two of them worked diligently in silence. Occasionally they'd go back to the spring and drop off the wood they collected. Kobi was getting tired of the silence after awhile. There was a tension between the two of them. Even as they collected the wood, he couldn't help but feel like it was a competition.

"So, Hope. It seems like you and Lightning are very close," he said nonchalantly as he picked up another branch and added it to the pile next to him.

"She's very special to me," Hope said bluntly with his back to him. Kobi wished he could have seen his face.

"Yeah. You two have been through a lot together, haven't you? I mean, with Lightning being a l'Cie and all…"

"She told you about that?" Hope asked, suddenly sounding intrigued and turned around to face him.

Kobi laughed lightly. "Well, yeah. I mean, I was a l'Cie too, after all. It's only natural to want to talk to other l'Cie's about what you've been through. It's not like there are many of us still alive, after all," Kobi told him and he saw Hope nod out of the corner of his eye. "I bet she was an amazing l'Cie."

"She was. She taught me a lot while we traveled together."

"You two became really close then?"

"Yeah. She means a lot to me," Hope said and turned around. He looked Kobi directly in the eye to make sure he saw how much she meant to him. "She means a lot to many people. I'm going to take her home. There are people waiting for her."

"I have no doubts," Kobi told him and nodded in agreement. "But what if Lightning wants to stay here?"

"In Yampeir?"

"Yes."

Hope shook his head, his damp silver locks swaying back and forth. "She won't. Her life is back home with her family. With me. You know that," Hope said, his voice serious and unwavering.

Kobi ran his fingers through his thick brown hair and shook his head. "I'm not so sure about that. She fits in well here. Everyone is quite attached to her. This could be her new home if she gave it a chance."

"She left too much behind. It's time for her to come back," Hope said and clenched his fists. Kobi didn't particularly want to get into a fight with Hope. He was pretty confident he could take him on though.

Kobi shrugged and picked up his pile of branches. "Whatever you say. Let's get back to the camp. I still need to catch us dinner."

He walked back to the campsite-assuming that Hope was behind him but not bothering to turn around to look-and dumped the branches on top of their previously established pile. They had plenty to get them through the night.

Kobi looked out over the water to see Lightning and Melissa standing in the deep end, the water well up to their shoulders. They looked like they were having a carefree conversation. A smile would occasionally cross Lightning's face. It made her look younger and more alive.

Melissa looked over at them and smiled. She waved her hand to motion Lightning to follow her as the two swam back to the shore. Kobi couldn't help but admire Lightning as she climbed out of the water. The way her strong muscles flexed as she pulled her wet body onto dry land was insanely attractive.

Kobi glanced over at Hope to see him gawking at Lightning just as much as he was. His mouth was hanging open and his eyes were fixated on her body. Kobi rolled his eyes and gave the boy a quick nudge with his elbow.

"You're going to catch a fly if you keep your mouth open like that," he said under his breath and Hope quickly tore his eyes away and suddenly became preoccupied with their pile of branches.

"Looks like you two did a good job at finding wood," Melissa said as she glanced over at their large pile. "I'm impressed."

"Well, we couldn't have you ladies going hungry now, could we?" Kobi said with a smile. He walked over to where he left their camping supplies and unfolded a collapsible fishing rod. It was one of Kobi's favorite tools and he often used it to fish for the village. He didn't mean to be boastful, but he was probably the best fisherman out of all of them. If there was one thing he could do, it was reel in a big one.

"Oh good. I'm starving," Melissa said and placed a hand over her flat stomach. She then turned her attention to Hope and linked her arm with his. "Hey, Hope. Do you think I could chat with you while Kobi catches us dinner? I have some questions about the Cavalry and I was hoping you'd be able to answer them," she said with a smile and tugged on his arm.

"Oh, well…um…sure. I guess that'd be fine. We'll be back soon," Hope said to Lightning as Melissa led him away and towards the hole in the cliff.

Kobi watched as Lightning walked over to the other side of the large rock they stood on and sat on the edge of it. She lowered her feet and calves into the water and reclined back onto her palms. Kobi couldn't help but admire the curve of her back and her strong triceps that she used to prop herself up. _Damn, she is gorgeous, _he couldn't help but think as she tried to bait his hook while still keeping an eye on her.

"Do you mind if I fish next to you?" Kobi asked as he readied his line to cast.

"Go ahead," Lightning said without meeting his eye. She just continued to stare out into the distance.

Kobi cast the line out into the dark deep end where he knew he'd be most likely to get a bite. He held the rod steady in his hands and sat down next to Lightning.

They were quiet for a moment. He was expecting the air between them to be tense like it often was, but she seemed to be relaxed enough; relaxed, but clearly deep in thought. Her eyes never faltered from the still water and she seemed very distant.

"Something wrong?" Kobi asked and her eyes quickly flickered to meet his and then away.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking. This place is pretty amazing," she said and Kobi couldn't help but notice the change in topic. He'd figure he'd humor her and go along with it though.

"It is. I've always loved it here. So did my…" He paused and looked over at Lightning. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her. She was just someone he didn't talk about. Still, he found himself wanting to talk about her. Maybe it was time to open up a bit more. Even though he claimed to have opened himself up to her, he still kept a part of himself deeply buried.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "My wife liked it here a lot too," he said and Lightning turned her head to look at him. Her aqua eyes met with his emerald and she held his glance for a moment before looking away.

"You're married?" she bluntly asked.

"I was. I'm a widower now," he said and ran his fingers through his hair. It was hard for him to admit. It was hard to say the word 'widower'. He spent a lot of his time trying not to think about her. Sometimes it was just easier to block out the past. Still, being here reminded him so much of her. He could almost hear her gentle laugh in the splash of the waterfalls.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lightning said, a genuine apology in her voice. "What was her name?" she asked after a moment of silence. Kobi was surprised to find her expressing an interest.

"Her name was Ava," he said and the moment he said her name, her image appeared clearly in his mind. He had spent so long trying to forget her that everything was rushing back like a flood. "She was beautiful. She had long dark brown hair and bright blue eyes that light up when she laughed. She was always the tomboy of the village. She'd want to hunt with the men and build the huts. To her, making clothing was a waste of her time. We had all thought of her as a little sister until we grew up and she became a woman," he told her. He felt like he couldn't control his mouth. He couldn't stop the words from pouring out. He wanted to talk and he wanted someone to listen.

"When did you marry her?" Lightning asked as she kicked her feet in the water.

Kobi chuckled and smiled at her. "Well, I had a thing for her while we were l'Cie, but she found me annoying. Apparently I was too persistent, but I think I grew on her," he added with a wink and Lightning rolled her eyes. "We figured that there wasn't much reason to marry when we were just going to die. Staying together would be enough. It was the first thing we did after we woke up from being crystals though. There was a huge celebration because we were the first to marry in a very long time in our village. She got pregnant soon after the wedding…" Kobi told her, his voice trailing off.

"I didn't know that you're a father," Lightning said softly.

"I'm not," Kobi solemnly responded and a tense silence encompassed them. "It was a beautiful day. She was six months into her pregnancy and I don't think I've ever been happier. We were both so excited to be parents. She was struggling to help out in the village since she didn't know how to sew or cook. Hunting was her thing. She could still fish though." Kobi took a look at the rod in his hands and felt sick to his stomach.

"It was like any other day. She kissed me goodbye and walked off towards the nearby river, you know the one. You spent a lot of time there resting your ankle in the water," he mentioned and Lightning nodded her head in confirmation. "She'd typically come home with a few small fish she caught. Not enough to feed the whole village, but a substantial amount. Just helping feed our people made her feel like she was doing her part."

Kobi paused and took a deep breath before continuing. He never told this story to anyone. It was hard hearing himself tell it. "Well, it was getting late and the sun was starting to set. I became worried and went to look for her. I found her fishing pole discarded on the shore and blood on a nearby rock. I knew that sometimes the rocks on the shore could get pretty slippery. It was pretty obvious what had happened…"

Lightning raised her hand towards him. Kobi looked at her for a moment. Her eyes reflected genuine sympathy. She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand on his shoulder. Her touch gave him the strength to continue.

"I ran down the bank a few miles, frantically calling out her name as loudly as I could. A few other men joined me when they heard my calls. The sun was going down and I knew I needed to find her before it went down completely. It didn't take long for us to find her body a few miles down on the shore. She was pretty hard to miss considering a fiend was eating out of her abdomen. Feasting on her and my unborn child," Kobi choked out, tears slipping out of the corner of his eyes as he clenched his fist tightly around the pole. He could see it. He could see the blood staining the beast's muzzle. The dark crimson blood dripping off of its fangs in large drops. The way its eyes were crazy with hunger and the piece of her flesh hanging out of its mouth. The blood rushing into the river, dying it an eerie red. It was all so vivid in his mind. He thought he was going to puke.

"Kobi. Come on, Kobi. Snap out of it," Lightning said, shaking him in an attempt to bring him out of his past. There was a reason he had locked the memory up so tightly.

"It took all of us to kill it. I made sure to get the final blow though. My spear went straight through its head," he said, his voice sounding far off as he remembered the fight the beast put up. It's final cry of anguish still echoed in his ears. "A lot of us were injured. Killing it was worth it though. I don't think I could of lived with myself if I had let it get away," he told her and she nodded.

"Her face was so blue when we found her. We figured she had slipped and knocked herself out in the process. She had drowned in the river. Even though she was so blue, her face looked so peaceful. It was the only part of her that the beast left alone," he said, his voice dropping to a low whisper as he recalled her beautiful blue face.

"Her death was probably painless. I'm so sorry for your loss," she said and wrapped her other arm around him in a reassuring hug. Kobi was surprised by the action but leaned into her anyway. He needed her strength right now.

"You remind me a lot of her. You're brave and stubborn, just like her. It's been nice to see another woman like that," he told her and she tensed up a little. She probably wasn't expecting to hear that. "Thank you for listening though. I think it was about time I told someone."

* * *

"What did you want to talk about, Melissa?" Hope asked when she dragged him through the hole and onto the other side of the cliff where he had just collected sticks with Kobi. Hope couldn't say that he was in the best of moods. Kobi had said something that had gotten under his skin. He didn't want to fathom the possibility of Lightning wanting to stay with him.

"We've got to do something, Hope! I feel like we're losing this battle. We need to brainstorm. We've got to figure things out. I mean, it's pretty obvious that Lightning has feelings for you too-"

"Wait. What? Where are you seeing this?" Hope asked, completely baffled. In his eyes, Lightning wasn't acting any differently than when he was fourteen. Alright, so maybe she blushed a _bit_ more…but was that really proof that she had feelings for him?

"She has them. She just hasn't come to understand them yet. I hate to break it to you, but Lightning is a bit dense when it comes to understanding her own feelings. I don't even think that she knows that you have feelings for her. You're going to have to start being a bit more obvious if she's ever going to clue in on this. Even then, she might pass them off as you caring for her as an older sister or something. Which is the farthest thing from the truth," Melissa ranted, gesturing wildly to express her frustration.

"I don't know if I can," Hope said bashfully. He didn't have experience with girls. He'd have the occasional girl who had a crush on him but he'd ignore them and they'd eventually give up. He had no idea how to be more obvious about his feelings.

"Try, Hope. Just try for me. Try for yourself, too. Because while you're being too chicken to make a move, Kobi is falling more and more for her. The sooner you do it, the better for the both of us," Melissa lectured and walked over to a nearby log where she plopped down on. She let out a dramatic sigh and rested her chin on her knuckles. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother…Kobi is never going to see me as anything more than another girl."

"Don't say that, Melissa," Hope encouraged, taking a seat on the other side of her. "You're a great girl. Kobi just hasn't seen that yet. I bet if you made an effort to get to know him more, he'd realize how amazing you are," Hope told her with a sincere smile. Melissa really was a good girl who seemed to really care about the best interest of her friends.

"You make it sound so easy. It's hard to get his attention when he won't stop ogling at Lightning. She's pretty tough to compete with. She's beautiful and strong while I'm plain and weak," Melissa sulked and pulled down on her red hair. "He'd never pay attention to this freckled face."

"Listen, we can't give up. It won't amount to anything. Pretty soon, Lightning and I will be gone and he's going to have to deal with that. You're the one who's always going to be there for him, Lissa. Not Light," Hope told her with a determined voice and she smiled at him.

"…you called me Lissa," she said and Hope looked away in embarrassment.

"Oh, did I? I'm sorry. I guess I just thought it was a nice nickname is all," he said, not believing that he had called her that.

"It's okay. I like it. You're a good friend, Hope. I wish you could stay here. I'll miss talking to you when you're gone," she admitted with a sad smile on her face. "I don't have many friends in the village. It was hard to break in when they were so tight knit. They were plenty welcoming, but most of the other girls couldn't help but see me as an outsider. I'm manly friends with the guys who didn't look at me so harshly. Lightning has been my first female friend in a long time. It's going to be so hard to see you guys go."

"Wait a second…" Hope said, looking at her in confusion. "You weren't always a member of the village?" he asked in surprise. Sure he knew that she looked different and he was a bit shocked when she mentioned the Cavalry. He just figured that Lightning had told her about it.

"Of course not! I was a member of the Cavalry. I crashed nearby, just outside the village. I guess I forgot to mention that," she said and rubbed the back of her head.

"So…how's the condition of your plane?" Hope asked eagerly. The prospect of fiddling with a plane was exciting.

Melissa sighed. "Not very good. While I'm a good flyer, I'm not the best mechanic. I wasn't able to fix it. The radio and navigation system is completely broken and I can't get the engine to start."

"Mind if I have a look at it when we get back?" Hope asked. He honestly couldn't help but want to get his hands on it as soon as possible.

"Oh, sure. You can still have a look. I still have the keys in my room. It's been three years so it's not in the best shape thanks to the rain and all, but it could be worse," Melissa explained. "Well, we've been gone awhile. We should probably get back before they think a fiend got us," she said as she stood up.

"Yeah, you're right," Hope said and followed her once more through the hole and to the springs.

They walked over to their campsite and Hope felt his mouth drop. He thought he was going to puke and he saw Melissa tense up next to him as well. Lightning had her arms wrapped around Kobi while he rested his head on her shoulder. _What…what is going on?_

"Lightning?"

* * *

Lightning quickly removed her arms from around Kobi and stood up. Hope was standing next to Melissa. He looked dumbfounded, and maybe even a little hurt. Melissa was giving her a quizzical look. Hers was tinged with a bit of anger though. Lightning hadn't meant anything by the hug. Oh heavens, no. Kobi was crying though and she couldn't help but attempt to comfort him.

"What are you two staring at? Did you have a good chat?" she asked, completely blowing off what they had just seen. They were looking into it far too much. It didn't mean anything.

"Yeah, we did. What did we miss while we were gone?" Hope asked and stared directly at Lighting. She wished she were telepathic. She wanted to tell him so much that it wasn't anything. It didn't mean anything.

"You didn't miss anything. I was just telling Lightning a sad story is all," he said and wiped a remaining tear with the back of his hand. "She was just trying to comfort me is all. It's nothing, really," he said and gave Lightning a reassuring smile.

"You've got a bite," Lightning told him, motioning to the pole in his hand which the fish was tugging on.

"Oh!" Kobi exclaimed, doing his best to reel it in. Lightning watched as he struggled with the fish. Was it…really that big? She was starting to have second thoughts about going back into the water.

After a good fight lasting around eight minutes, Kobi finally reeled in the large fish. It was easily the size of her thigh and would definitely provide them with enough food for the evening.

"Woooh! Good job, Kobi!" Melissa exclaimed, looking at the large fish. "Let's go cook it up and eat! I don't think my stomach can wait any longer," she said and rubbed her hand over her stomach.

"Sounds good," Kobi said and smiled at Melissa's excitement.

The four of them took their seats around the fire that Hope worked on building while Kobi prepared the fish for them to cook. Lightning took the opportunity to set out her sleeping bag and when he was done with the fire, Hope pulled his up next to hers. Melissa put her bag on the other side of Lightning's so that there was no possible way for Kobi to sleep next to her. Lightning couldn't help but think it was a smart move on her part.

The sun was setting now and it was growing increasingly darker with the cliffs surrounding them. The sky glowed a brilliant orange tinged with bright red above them. Lightning looked over at Hope to see that he was admiring the view as well.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked him.

"It sure is. It reminds me of sunsets we watched together while we traveled," he told her and he smiled at her. She couldn't figure it out, but every time he smiled at her, she felt her stomach do cartwheels. It was a little uncomfortable, but at the same time enjoyable. She didn't know why he was making her feel that way. She supposed she was just so grateful to be able to see him smile again. Even if it was different from the one she remembered from three years ago.

"Hey, Light?"

She tore her eyes from the sky and faced him. "Hm? What is it?"

"Do you think I could talk to you after dinner?" he asked and rubbed the back of his neck bashfully.

"Sure," she said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She didn't know what he wanted to talk about. She supposed it didn't matter. Even though they had already done a lot of talking, they still had so much to catch up on.

It didn't take Kobi long to cook the fish. Lightning found herself growing increasingly hungry with every second that passed. The delicious aroma of smoked fish over an open fire was irresistible.

They didn't have any plates, so they washed off some of the nearby flat rocks in the spring and ate with their hands. They had to wait for the fish to cool off before they could touch it, but it was worth the wait. The fish was truly delicious and it seemed to melt in Lightning's mouth. She savored every bite and when she was done, she was left completely satisfied.

"Ahhh, that sure was delicious," Melissa said, leaning back onto her sleeping bag. "I've never had fish that good. Thanks, Kobi," she said and smiled up at him. He smiled proudly down at her. Lightning was pleased to see that he had set his sleeping bag up next to her. Although she figured he'd rather sleep next to her than Hope.

"It wasn't a problem. We've had better fish though. You know how my mom puts uses to all those spices she has. That's what truly makes the meal," he pointed out and Melissa thought about it for a moment.

"I guess you're right. It really does add to the flavor," she agreed with a small giggle.

Lightning felt Hope gently nudge her side.

"Mind if we go talk now?" he asked as the light from the fire danced across his face.

"Sure," Lightning said and stood up. "We'll be back in a bit," she said to Melissa who smiled up at her. She could have sworn she saw a wink too, but she wasn't sure if the firelight was making her see things.

"What is this? The day of secret conversations?" Kobi scoffed.

"Must be," Hope said, not buying into Kobi's taunt. "Come on, Light," he said and took her hand in his.

He led her carefully away from the fire and over the rocks. It was dark and hard to see, but Hope was doing a good job at navigating them. He made sure Lightning stepped in the right places and frequently looked behind him to make sure she wasn't having any difficulty.

It was probably a good thing because Lighting was focusing on the fact that he had grabbed her hand and was holding it tightly on his own free will. She always liked the way his hand felt in hers. It was a lot rougher now than it had been when he was still a kid. Still, she couldn't help but think that it fit hers perfectly.

"I think this is good," Hope said as he brought her to a center of a very large, flat rock.

Surrounding them were a few waterfalls. A few lightning bugs danced upon the spring like ballerinas. Their dance was reflected in the water like a mirror. It made for a breathtaking sight.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about, Hope?" Lightning asked and she positioned herself in front of him.

"I…I don't really know how to say this," he said and his eyes darted frantically around them. She could tell he was having a hard time looking her in the eye.

"It's probably better to just come out with it. You'll feel better after you do," she coached. She didn't have the slightest idea what he wanted to tell her. Whatever it is, it sounded important.

"You're right. I should probably just say it. That way it'll be easier on both of us," he said and took Lightning's other hand in his. Her eyes shot up to his and he looked down upon her. The look he was giving her made it hard for her to breath. It was so gentle and caring. _Why? Why are you looking at me like that? _

"Hope, tell me." What she intended to be an order came out as more of a plea.

"Lightning, I…"

* * *

AN: Dun dun dun duuuuuunnnnnn.

I'm really looking forward to feedback about this chapter since it really had a lot going on in it. I just want to thank all of my awesome readers. You guys are truly the best and I feel so bless to have awesome people read what I write. It's a little weird for me since I've gone for years without letting people read my work. You guys make it so worthwhile though. :) Thanks so much. I'll see you all in chapter 12!

-Val


	12. Complete

Chapter 12

**Complete**

* * *

"Lightning, I…"

What was he doing?

Hope felt like he was watching himself from above. There he was, holding the hands of the woman he loved more than anything else. She was looking up at him, her blue eyes expectant and unsure of what was going on.

Was he really going to do this?

He tightened his grip around her hands and found himself back in his own body. He was seeing her with his own eyes. It still seemed so surreal to have her standing right in front of him. It felt like he was going to wake up any second.

_Well, better do it before this dream ends._

He leaned forward and gently placed his lips upon hers. Her lips were soft beneath his own. He could feel the heat radiating off of her. Daringly, he applied a little more pressure. She wasn't pulling away, but she wasn't kissing back. He pulled his hand away from hers and gently placed it upon her cheek and slowly pulled away.

He didn't have the chance to get far when Lightning suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. Hope's eyes widened in shock at her impulsive reciprocation. After a moment, he relaxed under her kiss and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her body close to him and savored the feeling of her against him. She was here with him, and she was kissing him. He expected to wake up any second, but he knew he wouldn't. This wasn't a dream. This was his reality. And for once, it couldn't get any better.

She was the first to pull away. She gazed up at him, her face unreadable. She seemed deep in thought. Hope wished he could read her thoughts more than anything.

"Hope…" she finally uttered and Hope removed a hand from her waist and placed a finger against her lips.

"Shhh. Don't talk. Just listen, okay?" he said and she nodded. He removed his hand and ran his fingers through her hair.

"This is all probably going to sound a little crazy, and I'm probably not going to explain it very well, but what can I say? I love you, Lightning. I always have. Ever since I was a fourteen year old boy. Sure, it started out as idolization. I wanted to be as strong as you and as determined as you. But that quickly became more. I wanted to protect you. I wanted to be by your side forever. And even now, I still do. More than anything," he confessed and rested his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"When you left, my life around me fell apart . I couldn't stop thinking about where you were and how you were doing. Still, I never once doubted the status of your life. I always knew you were still with me, even though almost everyone thought you were gone. I had to find you, Light. I had to bring you back to me. And now that you're with me again, I don't ever want you to leave my side. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you with me. But more than anything, I want you to want to be with me too," he slid his hand through her hair and rested it on the back of her neck. He cupped the side of her face gently in his other hand and tilted her face up so she was looking him directly in the eyes.

"I'm not the boy I used to be. I'm a man who loves you. I'm a man who wants to be with you forever. This feeling is what kept me looking for you. I wasn't going to give up until I found you. Fate brought us together once again. There's no way I'm going to let us be apart. Not after everything we've been though. I'm not going to let anyone take you away from me either," he said, his voice firm and steady. He couldn't help but view Kobi as a potential threat. He could feel her flinch slightly under his touch, and he knew that she was aware of who he was talking about too.

He stopped talking for a moment and listened to the music the bugs preformed for them. Every chirp seemed to echo around them. A frog hopped into the water nearby with a 'plop' and the surrounding air was still. He wanted to imprint the memory in his mind. Confessing is probably one of the hardest things to do in life. When you do have the strength to do it, it's important to remember it so you can remember the courage it took.

He stroked her cheek gently with him thumb. "I know this is probably a lot for you to hear right now. I just want you know that it's the truth. I don't except a response. I just want you to think about it. More than anything, I just want you to know that I love you," he proclaimed, pouring every ounce of love he had for her into those three words.

He dropped his hands and took a step back. He immediately wanted to wrap his arms around her once more, but he resisted the temptation.

"Shall we go back?" he asked with a small smile.

She continued to stare back at him. It was liked she was looking at him for the first time. Hope couldn't help but hope that she was seeing him clearly now. He wanted her to see him as the man in front of her and not the boy from her past. That wasn't who he was now.

She nodded and he extended his hand for her. She stared at it for a second before placing her hand in his. He wrapped his fingers around her hand and held it firmly.

He led her back to the campsite. He admired the beauty of the spring and the fireflies reflecting in the water. He was careful not to let them trip, although he knew that she would have no difficulties catching herself.

As they walked, Hope felt as if he wasn't suffocated anymore. Hiding his feelings from her was weighing him down. He had wanted to tell her for so long. He wasn't sure how she felt about him, but just knowing that she knew how he felt was enough. He was just happy that she knew. Now he didn't feel like he had anything to hide.

When they got back to the campsite, Kobi and Melissa were already fast asleep. He was slightly surprised that they didn't wait for them to get back. Typically, Kobi would have stayed up to make some snarky comment about how long they took and maybe interrogate them about what took so long.

Lightning walked over to her bag and picked it up.

"I'm going to go change. I'll be right back," she told him and motioned off to a large rock that she'd change behind.

He smiled at her. "Sure thing. I'm going to do the same. I'll be right back," he said and pulled out a pair of dry boxers out himself.

They went their separate ways and Hope went off to where he figured they wouldn't be able to see him. He changed so quickly that he wasn't really concerned if they did catch a peek of his backside. He was pretty sure that Melissa and Kobi were dead asleep though. He could hear their snoring from where he was.

He walked back to the campsite and laid his damp boxers next to the low fire for them to dry. Lightning came back a second later. She was wearing one of his cotton shirts that she had confiscated once he arrived. It was black and clung to her curves well. It was just long enough to cover her behind. Still, he could easily see the trim of her white panties whenever she walked.

She bent over and laid her underwear next to Hope's to dry. He tried not to admire her perfectly toned butt as she crouched, but it was hard not to. He so desperately wanted to rub his hands over it. He quickly shoved the idea to the back of his mind and tore his eyes away. It wasn't right for him to look at her so lecherously.

He crawled into his sleeping bag and she climbed into hers. Their bags were so close that his face was only a few inches away from hers. He closed his eyes, but he could feel her watching him. He couldn't take the feeling of her eyes on him.

"What is it, Light?" he asked and she quickly rolled on her back. He could tell that she didn't like the fact that she was caught.

"I don't know how to say this," she said, her voice flat and emotionless.

"Just come out with it."

"I…I'm not good at things like this," she admitted, looking over at him and then quickly looking away.

"It's okay. Just try your best," he said and she sighed.

"Do you mind…do you mind if I sleep with you? I just want to be near you," she admitted, not meeting his eye. He could see how tense and uncomfortable she was.

He wasn't going to tell her how much his heart was racing at the very notion.

"Of course you can. Come here," he said, scooting over in his bag so she could squeeze in next to him. She quickly slid out of her bag and awkwardly wiggled into his. After a minute of getting situated, his arm was wrapped tightly around her torso. His legs were folded up in the crook of the back of her knees and his face was buried in her hair. He couldn't help but savor the sweet smell of her every time he breathed in.

At the same time, he was suddenly bothered by his normal bodily response to having an extremely attractive woman in his arms and pressed up against his body. He had no doubts that she could feel his arousal pressed up against her, but he couldn't help himself. He just hoped that it didn't make her uncomfortable.

"Are you alright?" he whispered in her ear as he stroked her arm.

"Yes. I'm fine. I hope I'm not bothering you," she told him and he gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Not at all. If I had it my way, I'd want to sleep like this every night," he admitted, not holding much back from her now. There wasn't much point in it.

"I just…I missed you so much when I was gone. I missed Serah, Snow, and Sazh too. I really did. But somehow, I thought about you the most," she told him and he could tell that it wasn't easy for her. Lightning was always a private person. It always made him feel special about how she would open up to him.

"Did you really?" he asked, secretly just wanting her to confirm it so he wouldn't forget.

"I did. I was just afraid to admit it to myself. It made me feel guilty thinking about you so much. I knew that leaving would hurt you. I'll never be able to tell you how sorry I am," she whispered and Hope gently kissed the back of her head.

"It's okay. It's past us now. Just promise you'll never disappear like that again."

"I promise," she vowed, her voice firm and honest.

"Thank you."

After that, they didn't speak a word. Hope treasured every second he spent holding her. Eventually, he felt himself slipping away into a pleasant dreamless sleep.

Lightning couldn't remember the last time she had slept so well. The sunlight was warm on her skin and she felt completely rested. Her only complaint would be the sticky sweat she felt dowsed in, but even that wasn't so bad.

She could hear birds chirping around her and the warm breath on the back of her neck. She gave a jolt, forgetting for a moment that she had asked to sleep with Hope. She carefully rolled around in his arms and faced his chest. She watched him as he slept, and couldn't help but think that his face looked the same when he was asleep at fourteen. He had tranquility about him when he slept.

"Light…" Hope mumbled softly in his sleep and Lightning could feel herself blush at the mention of her name.

She buried her face in his chest and inhaled his manly sent. Even the smell of his sweat was attractive to her. The thought of it made her scrunch up her nose. Why was he having this affect on her? Why did she have the desire to be close to him?

It was all strange and new to her. Growing up, she didn't think much about boys. She had to take care of Serah. She had to focus on her training. There wasn't much time for relationships. The few she had were short lived and they often ended up drifting as she grew increasingly distant and distracted. She didn't really consider herself girlfriend material.

She looked back up at Hope's sleeping figure and gently stroked his soft, silver hair. Would he mind the fact that she didn't portray her emotions well? Most of the time, she didn't even know what she was feeling. Would he mind that she was older than him? Would he want to get married? Start a family? Her whole life flashed in front of her. A future life she could share with him. While it was exciting, it was also terrifying.

She turned her head and looked over Melissa to see that she and Kobi were still fast asleep. She let out a soft sigh of relief. She really didn't want to hear what Kobi would have to say about her sleeping with Hope. She knew that he'd give Hope grief about it as well. But maybe…maybe their increased intimacy would make him back off? She liked him, and a part of her cared about him. He was a good friend despite his feelings for her and occasional arrogance. She just wished he could look past them.

"Good morning."

Lightning turned back to see Hope smiling a sleepy half smile. It looked adorable on him and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?" she whispered, not wanting to wake the others up.

He nodded. "Best sleep I've ever had."

"Good. I should probably get back to my own sleeping bag before Melissa and Kobi get suspicious," she said cautiously and saw him frown in disapproval.

"You probably should…but that doesn't mean that I'm going to let you," Hope teased in a low whisper as he wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"Hope! Let go!" she laughed as she tried to pull herself away from him. A part of her wanted to stay. She was so comfortable in his arms. She knew that there would be consequences she didn't feel like dealing with if she did.

"Nope. Sorry. Told you I wouldn't ever let you go. I don't plan on starting now," he said and kissed her forehead.

Lightning felt her temperature rise at his display of affection. She wasn't used to it and it made her heart gallop like a horse at a racetrack.

"Good morning, Lightning. Hope."

Lightning rolled over to see Melissa next to her. She was lying on her side with her head propped up on her elbow. A mocking smile spread across her face, her eyes glistened with amusement. Her red locks were tousled from sleeping, but she at least looked well rested…and completely ready to interrogate Lightning.

Hope released his arms from around Lightning and she took the opportunity to slide out of her bag and sit back on her own. She saw Melissa give Hope a wink of approval and Hope smile back at her.

"I guess we should start packing and head back so we can make it back to the village in time for lunch," she suggested, trying to draw Melissa's attention off of them sleeping together.

"That's a good idea," Melissa agreed and crawled out of her sleeping bag. She started rolling it up and leaned over to Lightning so that her lips were right next to her ear. "You're not going to get away with this. I will get answers," she said with a mischievous giggle and finished rolling up her sleeping bag.

Lightning looked over at Hope to see he was packing up his things as well. His eyes connected with hers and he gave her a small shrug and she knew that she would be on her own for this.

"Koooobi! It's time to wake up! Time to greet the morning!" Melissa shouted, crouching down and shaking the large man with as much of her strength as she could.

"Go away," Kobi grumbled and turned his back on her which she just continued shaking.

"Sorry. No can do. It's time for us to get packing," she said and he sat up, slowly turned his head, and glared at her. "Oh no. Demon Kobi! Keep him away!" Melissa shouted, running behind Lightning and hiding behind her.

"You asked for it…" Lightning murmured while pushing her aside and pulling out her clothes so that she could change.

"He doesn't have to be so mean about it though. I was only trying to help," Melissa teased, pretending to be hurt.

Eventually, they took turns changing into clothes that were suitable for walking back and packed up their camp. Lightning was surprised that she felt a little sad to be leaving. A part of her knew that this place would eventually mean a lot to both her and Hope. It was the place he confessed to her and that alone made it extremely significant.

"You guys ready?" Kobi asked Lightning and Melissa. Hope was already waiting outside the spring for them surveying the area for any fiends.

"Just give me a minute," Lightning said and started walking back to the rock where Hope took her last night.

While it wasn't as breathtaking as it was the night before, it was still beautiful in the daytime. There were multiple waterfalls falling around the rock. Tall rocks blocked it from view and you really had to carefully maneuver to find it. Lightning was impressed that she could even find where it was.

"Light?"

She turned around to see Hope standing a few feet behind her with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Kobi told me that you went off by yourself. Everything okay?" he asked, walking over to her side.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to get one last look before we left. I don't know if we'll ever see this place again," she told him and felt him slip his hands into hers.

"It'll be hard leaving."

"I hope we'll be able to come back one of these days," she said as she looked around one more time, memories of the night before flooding her thoughts.

"Me too. Hey, Light? Can I ask you something?" Hope asked and stepped in front of her.

"Sure. What is it?"

"May I kiss you here one last time?" he asked. His cheeks turned bright red but he retained steady eye contact.

"Yes," Lightning said without giving it a second thought.

He slowly lowered his head and placed them softly upon her lips. Warmth spread through her whole body and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms slid around her back and he pulled her close to him so that she was pressed against his chest.

Lightning had expected kissing him to be strange. She thought it would feel like kissing a fourteen year old boy. It was completely the opposite though. When she kissed him, she knew she was kissing a man. He made her feel loved and for the first time in her life, protected by someone else. She was filled with a sense of euphoria as she pressed her lips more firmly against his.

More than anything, she felt complete.

He slowly pulled away and stared her in the eyes. She could see all the love and adoration he had for her. She didn't know how she didn't recognize it before. She was in such denial about the whole thing. Lightning couldn't imagine that Hope could love her. Maybe love her like a sister, but never as a woman. Now that it was actually happening though, it just felt so right.

"Let's go. We can't keep them waiting any longer," Hope told her and gently pulled on her hand to follow him.

With one final glance back, she followed him.

The sun was no better than it was the day before. Its harsh rays beat down heavily on them. Lightning felt sticky as drops of sweat slid down her face. Hope and Kobi lead them as Melissa lingered behind with Lightning. They were almost back to the village when Melissa finally caved in to her own curiosity.

"I can't not ask, Lightning. Not knowing is driving me crazy. What happened between you and Hope last night?" she quietly asked, not wanting to boys in front of them to hear her.

"I'm surprised it took you this long to ask. I was expecting an interrogation much earlier," Lightning said and readjusted the bag on her back.

"I was trying to be respectful of your privacy…for once."

"Thanks."

"So…are you going to tell me?" Melissa eagerly asked, looking up at Lightning with expectant eyes.

"No."

"Aww. Come on, Lightning! We're friends! We confide in each other! He's your special someone!" Melissa shouted, making Kobi and Hope turn around and give them confused glances. Lightning shook her head and dismissingly waved her hand at them. Hope merely shrugged and continued walking ahead.

"Will you keep it down?" Lightning hissed and shook her head. "I really don't need Kobi giving Hope and I grief."

"So you do admit that there is something going on between you two?" Melissa said, lighting up at the slipped information.

Lightning sighed. "I guess. I don't really know. He confessed his feelings for me…"

Melissa gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in shock. "No way! I can't believe he actually did it! I guess my coaching actually worked," she said, proudly smiling to herself.

"What are you talking about?" Lightning asked and gave her a curious glance.

"It's nothing," she quickly pushed aside. "So, how do you feel about him?"

Lightning was quiet for a moment. She…she had a lot of feelings for him. They didn't really make sense to her though. She never felt like this about someone before, and it was confusing.

"I don't really know, to be honest," she said, wiping some of the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. "I just find myself always wanting to be close to him. I guess he means a lot to me. Wait, no. He does mean a lot to me. This whole thing is just so confusing," she said and let out a sigh of frustration. "I don't know where things are going to go from here."

"You don't really have to know, Lightning. You like him, and that's good enough for now. You may not be in love with him yet, but it's certainly going in that direction. You should just enjoy being with him if it makes you happy," Melissa told her with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just really not good at these things," she admitted. She looked up ahead and watched Hope as he walked ahead of her. Even from the distance she could tell his silver hair was damp with sweat.

"It's okay. Just take things day by day. There's no rush. Hope isn't going anywhere," Melissa told her and gently patted her on the shoulder. "Now let's go catch up with them. I can see smoke from the village now," she said, pointing up at a thin trail of white smoke in the sky.

The two of them sped up to catch up with the boys who were pretty far ahead of them. Lightning walked next to Hope who smiled at her and took her hand in his. They kept walking, but she quickly realized that someone had fallen behind.

She turned around and looked to see Kobi staring at her and Hope. Or more specifically, he was staring at their interlocking hands. His face was a kaleidoscope of emotion. It flashed from shocked, to hurt, to angry.

"Kobi…you coming?" Melissa gently asked as she looked at him with a concerned frown on her face.

Without a word, Kobi nodded and began to walk once more. He moved very stiffly, and it looked as if every step pained him. Hope gave Lightning's hand a reassuring squeeze and he smiled at her. It made her feel a bit better, but she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Hope leaned down next to her ear. "It'll be okay," he promised and she wished she could have believed him.

More than anything, Lightning knew how important it was for them to leave. While she would miss the village and its people, she knew that staying longer would only cause more problems. The sooner they left, the better.

Lightning took one more glance backwards at Kobi. He wasn't looking at her, but the glare he was giving Hope sent chills down her spine. Things would not be okay.

* * *

AN: Hey, guys. So, it's been about a month since I updated. It feels like longer. I really wish I could of worked more on this but I've been mourning the loss of my beloved dog who was tragically hit by a car and passed away.

So I'm kind of an emo little shit right now.

:D

But in all seriousness, it's been very hard for me to cope with the loss since I had him since I was a young girl. It's been rough. I'm also now back in school so it's been keeping me busy. I still plan on updating regularly though (which means at least once a month if I'm a good girl). What really inspired me to write this was seeing Hope in the FFXIII-2 trailer? Did you see that gorgeousness? I'd hit it.

ALSO! I just want to thank you all SO MUCH for the amazing reviews and support and love. I can't believe I got over 100 reviews. Never thought that'd happen.

Since this is kind of an important chapter an all signifying a bit of a turning point in relationship (finally...), review and let me know what you think!

-Val

(small edit: I don't know why this is/was showing up in all bold earlier. It's confusing. ._. I swear, I didn't bold everything. Maybe fanfiction . net just wants you to pay extra special attention to this chapter. ;D)


	13. Beautiful Lie

Chapter 13

**A Beautiful Lie**

I'm not dead! Isn't that exciting?  
Also, I bumped this story up to an 'M' rating. Just because of some of the slightly sexual things that go down in this chapter. It just felt wrong keeping it at 'T'. Don't worry though, things aren't going to get too explicit (partially because ff . net won't let me and sucks like that).

* * *

"What's Hope doing?"

"Guess," Lightning bluntly responded, not taking her eyes off of the fabric she was stitching in front of her.

"Again?" Melissa whined and let out a sigh. "He's obsessed!"

Lightning nodded. "A part of me wishes you never told him about that stupid plane..." Lightning grumbled under her breath. When was the last time she saw Hope? She closed her eyes and thought back. It was that morning. Hope had entered her bedroom while she was half asleep. She could faintly recall the warmth of his lips pressed against her forehead before he went off to work on Melissa's crashed plane a few miles away.

"He's been working on the plane for over a week now. I can't believe he hasn't given up yet," Melissa remarked while she rapidly sewed away. Melissa was a natural when it came to making anything with her hands. Lightning wished she could be just as skilled at sewing instead of poking herself with the needle every few minutes.

"He's slacking on his duties to the village," Lightning said disapprovingly. "Aaina has done so much for Hope and I. The least he could do is work hard for her and not on that plane he's so obsessed with."

"You know that Aaina doesn't mind. We have plenty of help already. It's okay if Hope slacks off a bit," Melissa told Lightning with a reassuring smile. "It sounds like you miss him to me," she said, her smile twisting into a smirk. Her eyes lit up playfully and Lightning bashfully looked away, mentally cursing herself for doing so.

"I thought so!" she continued, clearly pleased with her suspicions being correct. "You've been so gloomy without him around.

"No. I've been myself. I think you're misreading things," Lightning told her, even though she knew that Melissa wouldn't buy it.

The truth was that Lightning did miss Hope. She missed him all the time. Now that they were together again, she couldn't stop thinking about him. It scared her sometimes. She had never felt this way about anyone before. It was incredibly frustrating that couldn't stand being away from him. She just wanted to be near him again.

Lightning sat down her needles and looked over at Melissa with a frown on her face. Her fingers were cramping with pain and she could barely hold her needle anymore. As much as she didn't want to, she would have to admit defeat. She put her half-finished skirt to the side, stood up, and stretched her arms high above her head.

"You done for now?" Melissa asked.

Lightning nodded. "Yeah. I think I'm going to go for a walk. It's pretty nice out today," she said and looked up towards the clear blue sky.

"Be careful then. Make sure you're back before dark," Melissa reminded with an all too familiar grin and Lightning felt something tug at her heartstrings. Melissa had become one of her best friends. Lightning couldn't remember the last time she became so close with another woman. Sure, she became close with Fang and Vanille. It was a bit different with Melissa though. Melissa had become almost like a sister to her in the time they've spent together. For the first time, Lightning felt a little regretful of her inevitable departure back to Oerba.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Lightning walked back to Aaina's hut that was now home to her. She quickly retrieved her gunblade from her room and set off in the direction she knew Hope would be.

Two weeks ago after they returned from the springs, the first thing Hope had Melissa do was show them where her airship was. She was lucky enough to only crash about two miles from Yampeir. Melissa explained how she saw the smoke from a fire and went towards it. It was then she ran into Kobi who had seen the plane and helped her back the rest of the day. Without running into Kobi and finding the village, she probably wouldn't have had made it long by herself.

Lightning walked the grassy plains with little disturbance. The air was fresh and all was calm around her. The grass was up to her waist and swayed back and forth in the gentle breeze. She loved the tranquility of Gran Pulse. While she sometimes longed for Bodhum, she could also appreciate Pulse. She had traveled all over and seen many things that Pulse had to offer. The diverse sights frequently took her breath away.

She couldn't help but take a time like this to reflect on everything that was happening. It was only a few months ago that she stumbled into the village of Yampeir severely injured. She chucked a bit to herself when she recalled that Hope didn't arrive well either. She wondered if Yampeir was a safe haven for those who had lost their way and were in desperate needs of help. Perhaps the Goddess Etro had guided them all to safety there. For whatever reason, she was thankful. Somehow things were working out for her. Even though she wasn't able to save Fang and Vanille, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was how things were supposed to be.

She had worked up a light sweat when she saw the bright blue airship in the distance. Its paint once had a glossy finish but it was starting to rust from the rain. A few wild vines still entangled it, although Hope had cut most of them off. It had four wings, two bigger ones in the front, and two smaller in the back. Each wing had a large propeller with the ones in the back being smaller. It wasn't super large and was built for speed. The Cavalry was dedicated to making some of the fastest planes possible.

Lightning rested her gunblade in the grass by the door of plane and quietly approached the opposite side to find Hope working on the engine. His shirt was off and tossed over the wing of the plane closest to him. His silver hair clung to his wet forehead and his greased smeared hands were hard at work. His eyes shone with determination and Lightning found herself smiling at the sight of him working so hard.

It didn't take him long to notice her presence. He looked at her with a bit of shock on his face that quickly changed to delight. His pink lips turned up in a smile and placed the wrench in his hand in the open tool box by his feet. Lightning figured he must have found it on the plane. He wiped his hands off on a dirty piece of cloth before tossing it to the side as well.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked, walking over to her.

"What do you think I'm going here? How else am I supposed to ever see you? You spend all your time with this plane here-"

"Jealous?" Hope quickly interjected with a smirk.

"No," Lightning snapped and walked to the other side of the plane with her arms crossed across her chest. Hope followed her and sat down in a clearing of flatted grass he had made. She sat down next to him and couldn't help but be slightly flustered by her obvious lie. Was it so bad that she just wanted to see him and spend some time with him? After being apart for so long, she wanted to make up for lost time. That and she felt comfortable near him. She felt whole.

"How's the work coming?" she asked and Hope beamed at her.

"A lot better than expected! It's really not in that bad of damage and there is still a lot of fuel left. I could see why Melissa couldn't get it to start again though. A lot of parts have become loose, but it's nothing that I can't fix. I should be able to get it running in just a few more days," Hope excitedly ranted to her.

"I'm proud of you, Hope," she told him and inhaled deeply. It's funny how good he smelled to her. Even after a hard day of working, the scent of him brought her peace and...something else.

Her eyes looked over his slender, but toned torso. It was the torso of a man. Nothing like the body of a child she once knew. Without thinking, she reached over and placed a hand on his abdomen and traced the muscles underneath her fingertips. He gave her a bemused stare before closing his eyes and allowing himself to freely enjoy her touch.

It was strange to Lightning. She couldn't figure out what she was feeling. All she knew was that she wanted him. She was sick and tired of being apart for him and now that they were together, she just wanted to feel his soft skin...and taste his sweet lips. She wanted all of him, and Lightning always went for what she wanted.

In one quick motion, Lightning straddled Hope with her legs and wrapped her arms around his neck. She gently ran her fingers through his silky hair and rested her forehead against his. Her eyes slowly closed and she inhaled the scent of sweat, oil, and sweet grass.

Hope raised his hand and rested it on her cheek. He gently stroked her skin with his thumb and whispered, "Did you really miss me that much?"

Lightning nodded and Hope wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him.

"I missed you too," he said and placed his lips lightly upon hers.

Her heart pounded in her chest while he kissed her. Slow, rhythmic kisses filled with nothing but love. She felt safe in his warm embrace. She couldn't recall anyone who would hold her as intimately.

Still, she wanted more. Lightning wasn't sure what had overcome her when she ran her tongue across his bottom lip. He stopped kissing her for a moment before hesitantly parting his lips to allow her entrance. Her desire to taste him was too great to keep her from sliding her tongue into his warm mouth. She eagerly explored while savoring his taste. His tongue gently caressed hers while his hand firmly held the back of her head.

Lightning wanted to feel connected to him in every way. She could no longer see him as a child. While she treasured that image of him, she couldn't deny the man who loved her right in front of her.

Her breath was labored as they hungerly kissed each other in the dry grass. Her hands wandered up and down his toned back while his hand slipped under her shirt. She relished the feeling of his warm, rough hands over her smooth skin. His hands slid over her exposed stomach and lingered for a moment at the edge of her bra before proceeding. Hope slowly pulled his lips away and looked into her eyes, silently asking for permission for him to continue. Lightning reached under her shirt and unclasped her bra with trembling hands, figuring that would be enough of an answer for him.

Hope grabbed the edge of her shirt and pulled it over her head. He slid her bra off her shoulders and down her arms before tossing it aside with her shirt. Lightning watched as his green-blue eyes took in the slight of her completely exposed skin. She could feel her face turning bright red as his eyes wandered over her. He slid one arm around her back, pulling her closer to him, and placed his other hand on her left breast, directly over where her l'Cie brand use to be.

"You're beautiful," he told her, raising his eyes to meet hers. She let out a barely audible sigh of relief at his praise. There was no denying that she was nervous, but she trusted him. He kissed her once more, gently leaned forward, and carefully laid her down in the grass. He climbed on top of her, supporting his weight with his arms so he wouldn't hurt her under his weight.

His soft lips found a sensitive spot on her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Light's arms slid around his back and pulled him closer to her. She deeply inhaled the earthy smell of him and an intoxicated smile spread over her face. She closed her eyes and savored the soft kisses he trailed down her neck, starting from right beneath her earlobe and gradually progressing to her collarbone.

But they didn't stop there. His lips continued down her soft flesh to her supple mounds. Hope's hand hesitantly caressed her left breast while his other hand went to work at playing with her stiff nipple. Lightning's breathing sounded unfamiliarly deep and almost labored to her. She tried to steady it, but soon forgot to pay attention to it and focused on the strange-but extremely pleasurable-sensations flowing through her body.

He abruptly stopped and a surge of annoyance overtook her. She was enjoying herself so much that the last thing she wanted was for him to stop. He looked up at her with uncertainty in his eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly. For a moment, he seemed liked a child again. He had the eyes of a young boy asking her for her guidance just like he did so many times in the past. This was hardly a matter for children.

"I would have stopped you if I wasn't okay with it…" Light muttered, doing her best to hide her annoyance and embarrassment. She knew that Hope was only trying to look out for her, but it only made her more self-conscious.

He nodded and softly smiled before gently kissing her. His lips wandered from hers down her jawline, trailed kisses down the middle of her neck, and fastened over her breast. Lightning's eyes widened in shock as he greedily sucked. Her fingers tangled in his hair, keeping his head in place. She didn't want it to stop.

She could feel her back arch slightly under his touch. She shivered as a drop of water landed on her shoulder and slid down towards her armpit. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at a dark black sky. A few seconds later, rain started falling in buckets and flashes of lightning lit up the sky.

"You have got to be kidding me," Lightning muttered angrily at the sky as Hope crawled off of her.

"Wow, Lightning. Way to crash your own party," he yelled over the rain. She could barely see his wink through the curtain of pouring rain as she hastily put her shirt and bra back on.

She felt Hope's hand wrap tightly around hers and the two ran through the rain and towards the door of the plane. Lightning bent down and grabbed her gunblade before climbing into it. Hope secured the metal door behind them and shook his soaking head like a dog. Lightning instinctively put up her hands to shield herself from the flying drops of water, despite already being soaked herself.

"I'd give you a tour, but as you can see, there isn't much to see," Hope told her while motioning to the small plane. There were two seats in the cockpit surrounded by many buttons and switches that Lightning didn't know what controlled. There were a few levers as well. There were even more switches and buttons on the ceiling that looked even more intimidating. The screens she assumed were for navigation and probably many other things that wouldn't make any sense to her. Behind her was nothing. No other seats, no controls, just what appeared to be storage space. There were a few compartments on the walls that looked like they could be used for extra storage as well. The ceiling wasn't very high at all. She could barely stand and Hope had to crouch. Giving up, Light sat down on the cold metal floor.

"What are you doing?" Light asked in surprise when Hope started taking off his shorts. He stood in front of her in only his dark green boxers. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't take the opportunity to admire his perfectly toned body.

"We'll freeze if we just sit here in wet clothes. They need to dry. Give me yours too," he instructed while he draped his pants over one of the cockpit seats. "My shirt is a lost cause. There is no way I'm going back out there to get it," he said as he looked out the side window at his soaked shirt still on the wing of the plane.

Lightning quickly stripped her shirt and skirt off without thinking much of it. Hope had seen her in just her bra and underwear in the past when they went to the springs. While taking it off made her blush a bit initially, she got used to it. She handed her wet clothes to Hope who hung them up next to his. He opened a compartment in the wall and took out a large blanket. He walked behind Light, placed her in between his legs, and wrapped both his arms and the blanket around them. His chest felt cold on her back for a moment before their body heat and the blanket started warming both of them.

For a moment, they didn't say anything. Lightning closed her eyes and let herself melt into Hope's warm and protective embrace. He gently kissed the back of her neck and she let out a soft sigh.

"What's wrong?" Hope asked, misinterpreting her sigh.

"Nothing is wrong. Well, other than the fact that we're pretty much suck here until the rain stops," she said. It didn't sound like the rain was going to let up any time soon. The thunder still crashed above them and the rain sounded like pebbles being thrown at the plane.

"Is there something wrong being stuck here with me?" Hope asked with a small laugh and kissed her shoulder once more.

"No. But you know that Melissa is going to assume things. Kobi is going to freak out. And we're going to get hungry eventually," Lightning stated matter-of-factly. While there were a lot of things enjoyable about their situation, there were also a lot of things that made it less than desirable.

"You think too much, you know that?" Hope said and Lightning smacked his arm.

"I know. But that aside, I can't believe how much progress you've made on this," Lightning told him with a pleased smile.

"I took a few mechanic classes while training. It's been a bit of a learning experience to actually apply what I've learned, but it's going well. I honestly can think I can get it running again in a few days. We probably won't have enough fuel to make it all the way back, but it would really shorten the trip," Hope told her, sounding extremely proud of himself.

"That's really impressive, Hope. I guess that means it might not be too long until we see Serah and Snow again." Lightning was silent for a moment before letting out a soft laugh. "To be honest, I'm a little afraid of seeing Serah again. She's going to be so mad at me for taking off like that."

"She might be a little mad, but she'll be happy. I can promise you that. She misses you, Light. We all did," he said and tightened his arms around her. "Don't worry about that now though. You can worry about it later."

She nodded and turned in his arms so she could lean her head against his chest. He gently stroked her damp hair and she closed her eyes. It didn't take long for the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat to lull her into a tranquil sleep.

* * *

Melissa wished she had rope. That way, she could tie him down to the empty chair next to her to keep him from pacing, which he had been doing for over an hour. Generally, her thoughts involving Kobi and rope went in a different direction that made her blush just thinking about. She would give anything to make him stop pacing though.

"Kobi. Stop," she ordered and he shook his thick brown hair. "Pacing back and forth won't solve anything."

"I'm worried about her. She could be all alone out there. I want her back here so I know she's safe. What if she gets hurt? What if she gets attacked by a fiend? What if she…what if Lightning gets struck by lightning? Don't you understand how horribly ironic that would be?" Kobi said in a panic.

Melissa understood where this was coming from. Ever since his wife died while he wasn't watching her, he became panicked every time someone he cared about was out of his sight for an extended period of time. He even went looking for her on more than one occasion when she ventured off for too long. Still, this was getting ridiculous.

"Kobi, you need to calm down. Getting all worked up won't help. Pacing won't help. Please, sit down," Melissa begged with extra emphasis on the 'please'. Her patience was growing thin.

"The only thing that would help is to go looking for her. But you wouldn't let me do that," Kobi rebuked and continued to walk back and forth across the cabin that him and his wife once lived in together.

"I wasn't going to let you go look for her _in a thunderstorm_," Melissa snapped back. "Besides, she's with Hope. She'll be fine. He's more than efficient at protecting her, so relax." At her comment about Hope he let out a sound reminiscent of a growl and looked away from her. Okay, so maybe bringing Hope into the conversation wasn't the best idea to pacify him. Now that she got him going though, what was the point in stopping?

"What do you have against Hope anyway? He's a great guy. He's never done anything to you. Do you really hate him just because you see him as a threat?" Melissa jabbed, saying things she really knew she shouldn't be saying but just couldn't help it. She had to say them. They had been floating around in her mind for far too long.

"You wouldn't understand," Kobi dismissed. He walked over to the stone wall and rested his forehead on it.

Melissa scoffed. "And how exactly wouldn't I understand, Kobi? You don't see me hating Lightning, do you? Even when she came here out of nowhere and became a threat to me, I never hated her."

He was silent and slowly turned his head to give her a quizzical look. She couldn't believe how dense he could be.

"How is she a threat-," he began.

"Stop. Just stop. Let's not play dumb here, Kobi. Sometimes I really can't tell if you're in denial or if you're just an idiot. Maybe it's a bit of both," she could feel anger bubbling within her. "You're apparently the only one in this whole damn village who doesn't know how I feel," she shouted and she rose to her feet and walked over to where he stood by the wall. He turned around and he was backed up against the wall. "Do you know how it feels watching the one person you love love another? Do you know how badly it hurts? Especially when Lightning will never love you back?" Tears were freely falling from her eyes now. Her tears rolled down her freckled cheeks and fell onto her dark red hair.

"Melissa…" Kobi softly said, tearing his eyes from her.

"No. I'm not done. You don't get to talk right now. You're an idiot. I don't understand why I even love you in the first place. I've watched you pace back and forth for an hour muttering stupid hypothetical situations that Lightning could be in and why you need to go rescue her. And yet I've been in love with you since the moment you found me after the crash," she could feel her heart pounding furiously in her chest. This was it. This was the moment she knew was going to come all along.

"See me, Kobi. For once in your life, see me. See the woman who has been standing here right in front of you the whole time just waiting for you to open your eyes. See the woman who has befriended you and has been there for you every step of the way. Remember the woman whose shoulder you cried on when you had nightmares about Ava. Instead of seeing only Lightning who will never love you, look at me who is willing to give you everything. Dammit, Kobi."

She rose up on her tippy-toes and took his face in her hands. She pressed her lips up against his and pretended for a few seconds that everything was alright. That he was the one to take initiative. That he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. And for a moment, his warm lips felt right against hers. It was a beautiful lie.

Melissa slowly pulled away and searched his eyes for any signs of affection or reciprocation of love. His eyes held nothing but shock. So he really was that stupid.

An intense urge to escape consumed her. Her eyes shot to the door of his hut and she nearly tore the knob off in an attempt to leave. She ran out into the pouring rain, unable to think of anything but getting away from him. She didn't look back. She just kept running and running until she wasn't able to go anymore.

She collapsed to her knees in the tall grass and let the tears fall. She cried so hard that she couldn't tell if it were the tears falling or the rain. It only took a few minutes for the rain to stop and the sky to start to clear up. She desperately tried to catch her breath. This wasn't what she needed right now. She didn't want the rain to stop. She needed it to pour down on her and hide her tears.

"Melissa…"

Her whole body tensed. She couldn't believe it.

"Why did you follow me?" she choked out, unable to face him.

"It seemed like the right thing to do," he hesitantly said and crouched down beside her. He placed his hand on her shoulder which she quickly slapped away with all the strength she could muster.

"Don't touch me. Don't come near me. Don't acknowledge me. From now on, I want to be invisible to you. Even more so than I already am," she snapped and shakily rose to her feet. She glared down at him and could only feel the resentment she had for him masking the utter pain that permeated her very soul.

She walked away. The only sound she could hear was the wet grass beneath her bare feet. She didn't turn back to look at him once. When she reached the village, she didn't acknowledge any of the puzzled glances she was receiving from the people who were starting to emerge from their huts. She even ignored Quincy as he let out a friendly "kweh" as she walked by. She walked straight into the hut that she shared with two other single women of the village and went into her small room.

She walked over to her wall where a plain mirror hung. She looked at her pitiful reflection and couldn't help but cry some more. Her soaking wet dark red hair looked nearly brown and clung to her pale skin. Her eyes were puffy, red, and bloodshot. She balled her hands up into a fist and tore her eyes from her reflection. She would never be as beautiful as Lightning. She couldn't change that. She just desperately wished that he could see the good inside her.

But there was no use now. Melissa trudged over to her bed and collapsed on it. She curled herself up in a ball and tried to will the tears to stop. There was no point in crying. It was over.

* * *

(This chapter has not been beta read. I looked it over myself a few times, but I always miss my own mistakes. Beta will be back in a few days and I'll replace this with an updated and hopefully more pristine chapter.)

Hi guys…  
This is probably the part where I apologize for disappearing for so long. To be honest, I had a lot going on in my life that I needed to get sorted out. There is no way I could abandon this story though. It just has to be told. I refuse to let it go unfinished. Since it is now summer, I'll do my best to update more regularly again.

I really hope you guys like this chapter though. I had a really fun time writing it. Oh, and can we briefly talk about FFXIII-2 and how badly I hate Alyssa? I mean, come on! Melissa. Alyssa. Doesn't help that I had Hope call Melissa Lissa even before FFXIII-2 came out. It's just weird.

Ah hem. I look forward to hearing what you guys have to say. I missed and love you all. 3


	14. An Offer

Chapter 14

**An Offer**

* * *

When Hope and Lightning returned to Yampeir the next morning, something felt off to Hope. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it. All he knew is that he was overcome with a sudden sense of dread as soon as he walked into the village. There was no logical explanation for it. The weather had cleared from the unexpected storm and everyone was going about their daily actives as usual. It didn't stop him from feeling uneasy though.

He turned to look at Lightning standing beside him with a contemplative look on her face. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, curious about the expression on her face. She was a tough one to read, but he could always tell when she had something on her mind.

She shrugged. "I don't really know. Something just feels off," she admitted and Hope felt himself relax a bit. He wasn't the only one to have felt it.

"We should change," Lightning said and gestured to their wrinkled clothing. "And maybe bathe as well. I feel disgusting."

Hope was tempted to respond with a, "Mind if I join?" but it didn't feel appropriate for the moment so he nearly nodded. Lightning took ahold of his hand and gave it a quick squeeze before walking over to Aaina's hut to change.

Hope looked around the hut to see if Aaina was around. He wasn't particularly surprised when she wasn't. Although there wasn't really a specific social hierarchy of Yampeir, Hope had gathered that Aaina was a very important woman. She really looked after the whole village and everyone respected her for it. She was someone he couldn't help but greatly admire as well.

He quickly found his small pile of clothes that had been made especially for him when he arrived at the village and pulled on a light brown top with red and orange tribal symbols. His loose shorts matched the top. Apparently the symbols had meaning to them, but he never really thought to ask.

Lightning returned a second later wearing a dark blue top with colorful beads stitched into the fabric. It had no sleeves and merely tied around her neck, which showed off her long arms and shoulders very nicely. Her tan skirt was much shorter towards her hip and swooped elegantly down till about her knee and back up. It showed off the side of her toned leg nicely. Her light pink hair was pulled up in a ponytail, exposing her beautiful neck that Hope so desperately wanted to kiss at that very moment. Black sandals were tied around her calves with black rope and were also decorated with beads.

It reminded Hope of something Fang would have possibly worn. His felt a sting of longing for his lost friend, a woman he greatly admired. In certain ways, she was similar to Lightning. Both of them were tough and devoted to the ones they love. Hope could always see the love she had for Vanille. She would have done anything for her, just as Lightning would do anything for him. He was sure of it.

"What?" Lightning asked and Hope turned bright red as he realized he was staring.

"It's nothing. You just look so pretty is all," Hope admitted, feeling a little bit embarrassed. Lightning gave him a small smile.

"Thanks. I wish I felt that way. I feel gross from getting caught in the rain yesterday. I'm going to go take a bath in the river. Want to come with?" she offered and the prospect of bathing with Lightning excited him in all the ways an eighteen year old man would if a woman invited him to bathe with her. Hope doubted that she meant it as a sexual invitation, but he still wasn't about to turn her down.

"Sure. I could use a bath myself. I'll grab the towels and soap." Hope went into Lightning's room and went into the closet and grabbed two towels which were a lot less plush and absorbent than what he was used to, but the cotton cloths that they referred to as towels got the job done. The soap had been made out of the fat of killed beasts and oil from vegetables that grew in the area. The people of Yampeir also added some herbs for fragrance. It wasn't fancy, but it worked well.

When he returned, the two of them went back out into the hot summer weather. Hope walked over to where Quincy lay in the shade.

"Hey, boy," Hope said in a friendly manner and extended his hand to stroke the soft yellow plumage covering his head and neck. Quincy slowly opened up his eye and looked up at Hope with a look that screamed, _And just what do you want? I was napping_.

"Do you mind giving Lightning and I a ride?" Hope asked and Quincy looked over at Lightning standing a few feet away, waiting for Hope. At the mention of Lightning, the bird quickly stood up and walked straight over to her.

"Thanks for the love, pal," Hope remarked to the behind of the bird as it walked away from him.

Quincy affectionately nuzzled his beak against Lightning's cheek and she reached up to pet the chocobo with a small smile on her face.

"Looks like he likes me," Lightning said as Hope approached.

"It's because you're a pretty girl. Quincy has good taste," Hope remarked and Lightning looked away, trying not to acknowledge his compliment.

"We should get going," she said and hoisted herself up on the back of the bird with grace. She left room in the front so Hope could join her. Hope was about to mount him too when he saw Melissa quickly approaching the two of them.

When she got closer, Hope immediately started to worry. Her red hair looked tangled and disheveled. Her skin was pale and she had dark circles under red puffy eyes.

"Can I talk to you, Hope?" she asked, sounding desperate as she gazed at him with bloodshot eyes.

Hope looked up at Lightning who looked concerned as well. "Sure. Do you want to wait for me, Light?" Hope asked and the pink haired girl nodded her head.

"You go on, Hope. I'll wait for you. We can go later this afternoon. I'll just take Quincy on a little ride. You'd like that, wouldn't you, boy?" Lightning asked, patting the side of Quincy's neck, who in turn ruffled his feathers and let out a pleased 'kweh' in response. Hope liked to wonder how much that bird actually understood.

He nodded in understanding and Lightning waved goodbye to the both of them. She grabbed Quincy's feathers by the nape, kicked her legs on either side of him, leaned forward, and the bird took off. A few curious onlookers stared as Lightning rode off into the grasslands with a small cloud of dirt trailing behind them.

Hope returned his attention to Melissa standing before him.

"Where would you like to go?" he gently asked and she took his hand in hers. Her hand felt cold and clammy to his. He gave it a little squeeze, hoping that it would be reassuring and would warm it up some.

Melissa led Hope out of the village and followed the nearby river north. Hope wasn't too comfortable with walking along the river, knowing perfectly well that the water would attract fiends he didn't want to have to deal with without his gunblade, which was inconveniently located back at the hut. Thankfully, she quickly sat down on the bank not too far from the village. Hope could easily shout for help if needed.

Hope watched as she dipped her feet into the water. Her face scrunched up a little and relaxed as her feet adjusted to the cold temperature. Without saying anything, tears started silently rolling down her cheeks. Hope kneeled down next to her, placed a hand on his knee, and wiped the tear from her face.

"Lissa…what's wrong?"

She shook her head. He didn't know if she was unable to speak or unwilling to.

"If you don't tell me how will I be able to help?"

Melissa turned to look at him for the first time since arriving at the river. "You can't, Hope," she paused, taking a deep breath. "It's over. I'm done. I can't keep pining over someone who will never see me as anything more than a sister."

"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Hope quickly asked, knowing perfectly well that Kobi had upset her. Melissa was a good friend to him and it hurt to see her in pain. Especially in the sorry state she was currently in.

"Hurt me?" She looked down at Hope and gave a small, forced laughed. "Phsyically, no. Emotionally? Yes. Without a doubt."

"Tell me what happened," Hope encouraged and stroked her knee with his thumb. "You'll feel better about letting it all out."

"I don't want to start crying again," she told him as she sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "I already know I look awful. I don't need my eyes to be anymore red. I don't want anyone gossiping any more than they probably already are. It's a small village. Word gets around."

"Just try for me if you can. If you feel like you're going to cry, squeeze my hand and stop talking. It'll pass," Hope suggested, holding out his hand to her which she took.

"Have I ever told you what an amazing friend you are, Hope?" she asked and Hope smiled.

"It's possible that you might have mentioned it before," Hope said with a small laugh.

"Well, it's true. You're probably the best I've ever had. Although that's not saying much since I've never been all that popular to begin with. Still, I appreciate you being there for me," Melissa confessed with sincerity in her voice.

"Anytime, Melissa. You're an important person to me. Now, go ahead and tell me what happened. You have my undivided attention."

Once she started talking, she didn't stop. It was as if she was purging herself of the night. It all flowed out of her mouth. How Kobi was obsessing over Lightning not being back. How Melissa couldn't take it anymore and finally confessed her love to him. How she kissed him and he only responded with utter astonishment. How she ran out into the storm only to have him follow her. It was hard for Hope to watch the emotions flash across her face as she relived the night.

"I honestly don't know what to say other than I'm sorry," Hope said and squeezed her hand. "I wish it wasn't this way. Kobi has no idea what he is missing out on. You're an amazing girl."

Melissa shrugged. "I appreciate the kind words, Hope. I just don't think anything you say right now could help. It's all too raw right now. I think I should just lay low for a while and avoid him if I can. If I don't see him, it won't hurt as bad," she sighed and kicked at the water. "It feels a bit better letting someone know about what happened."

"Can I go punch him?" Hope asked, imagining how good it would feel to throw a punch at his nauseatingly handsome face.

Melissa giggled and shook her head. "I wouldn't want to cause more tension between you two than there already is."

"Just remember that the offer still stands. I'm typically not one for violence but I've been dying to lay one on him for a while now," Hope said and laughed. "I'm starting to sound like Snow now."

"Snow? He's your friend, right?" Melissa asked.

Hope had told her a few times about Snow. He had no doubt Lightning probably did too. Only his description of Snow probably differed from hers a bit. Hope probably praised him more while Lightning probably describes him as an annoyance. She always had a hard time speaking positively about her brother-in-law.

"Yeah. That he is," Hope said with a small smile. "I wonder what he's up to now. Hopefully I'll be able to go see him soon."

Melissa gave him a puzzled look. "How do you plan on doing that? You didn't fix my aircraft…did you?" she asked, her eyes growing wide as reality sunk in.

Hope nodded. "I've got it running. I could easily take off. We won't nearly have enough fuel to make it the entire way. Still, it'll get us a lot closer to home."

Melissa was silent for a moment. She stared at the water and refused to make eye contact with him. "So…this means you're leaving soon," she slowly stated. The words sounded awkward coming out of her mouth. It was like she was attempting to speak a foreign language and couldn't quite make out the words.

"Light and I plan on leaving in a few days. I'm sorry. This probably isn't the right time to be talking about this." Hope didn't want to make her any more distressed than she already was.

"No. It's alright. I knew you wouldn't be staying forever. I just liked to be in my happy dream world where you and Light stay with me. You two have become like family. It's going to be so hard when you leave. What if we never see one another again?" Melissa asked and Hope saw tears form in the corners of her eyes.

"You know, Melissa. You're more than welcome to come with us," Hope proposed and saw shock quickly spread over her face.

"Me? Come with you and Light? Hope…I don't know. I didn't think there was anything left for me back there. I have no family. I doubt the Cavalry would want me back. I crashed my plane, for goodness sakes. What life could I make for myself there?" Melissa asked frantically.

"Are you happy with your life here, Lissa?" Hope questioned, looking her directly in her soft brown eyes.

Melissa was silent. "I…I thought I was. I don't think I was really happy until you and Light came around. I was always the outsider. My only practical use was supplying the village with information about the outside world. Everything about me was different and I couldn't truly fit in. I had never thought about going back because I didn't even think there would be a way," she told him with a small frown on her face. "I don't know, Hope. I think I'll need to think on it. I'll let you know what my decision is as soon as I think things through."

"I hope you will. You know Light and I would love to take you with us. It seems to me that you belong with us more than you belong here. That's just my opinion though. You think on it and get back to me," Hope said, standing up and placing his hand on her shoulder. "Stay strong about the Kobi situation too. He is a giant fool. Any man would be foolish to not fall for a girl like you," Hope said with a reassuring smile.

"You didn't fall for me though," Melissa said with a smirk.

"I only have room in my heart for Lightning. It's been that way since I've met her. Doesn't mean that there isn't another guy out there for you though," Hope said with a wink and Melissa stood up and touched his arm.

"Thanks. I needed to hear that," she told him and smiled genuinely. "Let's go back to the village. We shouldn't keep Lightning waiting."

The two of them walked back to the village. The air between them felt a whole lot less tense than it had before. They idly chatted as they walked, the sun beating down on them. Hope felt a drop of sweat slide down his face and he prayed to Etro that he didn't smell too badly. He was in serious need of a bath.

When the two reached the village, Hope saw Lighting carefully grooming Quincy of loose feathers. Hope laughed at the sight. Of course Quincy would let Lightning groom him but if Hope wanted to, he'd flap his wings and put up a fight. Hope would have to discreetly groom him in his sleep sometimes.

Hope felt Melissa gently grab the back of his elbow.

"I'm going to go back to my room and take a nap. If I'm not awake by dinner time, do you mind coming and waking me up?" Melissa asked and Hope nodded.

"Of course. Go rest up. You need it," he said and she quickly gave him a hug before running off to her hurt.

Hope walked over to Lightning who smiled as he approached. Quincy nudged his head against Hope's shoulder to acknowledge his presence. Hope gave the bird a pat on his neck.

"I'm not sure what you said to her, but she looks a lot happier. She okay?" Lightning asked, her eyes wide with concern.

"I will tell you all about it on our way to the river. Let's get going," Hope said and hopped up on Quincy.

"Sounds good to me," Lightning agreed. She picked up the towels and soap Hope had brought for them and mounted Quincy behind Hope. Hope felt her wrap her arms around him and lean against his back.

With a kick of his legs, they were off. They leisurely road along the river and Hope gave Lightning the brief summary of what Melissa had told him. He highly doubted that she would mind if he told Light. Still, he was careful not to add too much detail. He didn't want to feel like he was gossiping about her situation.

It did not take them long to reach one of the deepest parts of the river. It was easily nine feet deep at the deepest part and the current was slow. It was perfect for going swimming or bathing in. Not many people from the village were willing to walk as far as they traveled to reach it, so it provided them all the privacy they desired.

"In all honestly, I kind of feel bad for Kobi too," Lightning admitted as she dismounted Quincy along with Hope. "Don't look at me like that," she added as Hope figured he was probably staring at her with a bewildered expression. It was clear to him that Melissa was the one suffering the most. The last person he was thinking about was Kobi.

"Look at it this way," Lightning proposed as she sat down and started untying the laces of her sandals. "You and I both know that Kobi is an idiot. Well established fact there. He has always been oblivious to the feelings Melissa has for him. His obliviousness wasn't exactly his fault though. At least, I don't think so. There's something about Kobi you don't know, Hope," Lightning told him with a mournful look in her eyes.

She took a deep breath and continued, "His wife was tragically killed in an accident. I remind him of his wife. I don't really think it was his fault that he didn't realize Melissa's affections for him. He was too busy mourning the loss of his wife to recognize her feelings. I don't think Kobi loves me. I think he loves the common traits I share with his wife."

Hope sat down next to her and digested the information she had just told him. In all honesty, it was almost a relief to hear. Hope didn't cope well knowing that Kobi had feelings for Lightning. While the possibility remained Kobi did indeed love Lightning not just for the qualities his old wife had, it probably played a big role. Hope liked the idea of Kobi only loving Lightning because of his dead wife though…

_That is a horrible thought. Don't try to kid yourself, Hope. Kobi may not be in love with Lightning, but he thinks he is. There is even the chance that he may possibly be in love with her. That's the bottom line. _Hope shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He was being foolish, and he was well aware.

"You're right," Hope said, coming back to gran pulse. "They are both victims here. I hope they will be able to work things out. Especially for Melissa's sake."

"Let's stop talking about Melissa and Kobi. It's exhausting. All I really want to do is jump in that water right now and get clean. I'm tired of feeling so disgusting," Lightning said and she quickly pulled her shirt off.

Hope did the same and soon they were both standing on the shore of the river in their underwear.

"…We didn't bring a change of underwear," Lightning observed. "I'd rather not sit around in wet underwear on our way back."

Hope understood what she was getting at and he could feel himself turning red.

"Then…we should probably strip completely," he suggested.

"Yes, that would probably be the best decision," she agreed and Hope could see that she was blushing too. This was already wildly awkward. While he had already seen her half-naked, he didn't know how comfortable she was with letting him see her completely naked. Or seeing him naked, for that matter.

"You could go in first and I'll follow in a sec," he proposed and saw a look of relief spread over her face.

"Don't peak," Lightning commanded and she reached behind her to unclasp her bra. Hope closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. It was hard not to peak, but he kept reminding himself of the future he had with her. If things kept going the way they were, it wouldn't be long until he was able to gaze upon her completely exposed figure.

He heard splashing in the water and then it was quiet. He looked and saw that Lightning was standing in the river with the water coming up over her chest. She submerged her head under the water and Hope took advantage of the moment to grab the soap and slip out of his boxers and into the water with her.

She resurfaced a few feet away from him and Hope swam over to her. The water was pretty cold, but he couldn't help but be excited to be close to her. Despite the cold water, his body was reacting the same way any man's body would to being close to an extremely attractive naked woman. It was embarrassing, but Hope shrugged it off. He knew for a fact she had felt it before when they had slept together.

"You forgot the soap," Hope pointed out, handing her the soap.

"I guess I did," she said and took it from him. "Thanks."

Hope tried not to stare too much as he watched her slide the soap over her body. The soap left a shiny surface over her skin in which the sun reflected off of, making her glisten all over. He could tell she was enjoying being clean as she smiled to herself.

"One of the things I have always hated the most about traveling is the lack of showers. I can't stand feeling dirty for too long. After a while, you do get used to it though. Like when we were l'Cie. Remember how long we used to go without bathing?" Lightning reminisced, looking over her shoulder at Hope.

"I do. The few times we were able to bathe were always heaven to me. We didn't have many opportunities to enjoy the things we took for granted prior to that. It really made me grow up," Hope said, remembering the spoiled boy he used to be. Becoming a l'Cie and the death of his mother pushed him out of his comfort zone and forced him to grow up rapidly. While he still missed his mother, he wouldn't change what had happened. He wouldn't be the man he was if it weren't for becoming a l'Cie. He certainly wouldn't be who he was if it weren't for Lighting either.

"You certainly are all grown up now…" Lightning uttered under her breath as she tried to get her back with the soap.

"Here, let me help you with that," Hope insisted and Lightning handed him the bar of soap.

Hope stood behind her and pushed her wet hair to the side before sliding the soap over her skin. His fingers slid across the slick surface as he held the soap in his palm. When he was done, he reached around her and handed the soap back to her. He rinsed off her back with water and gently kissed the nape of her neck. He felt Lightning shiver and he wrapped his arms around her check and pulled her close to him. He trailed kisses down her neck and over her shoulder. Hope could feel her relax in his arms.

"Hope…" Lightning softly whispered.

"Yes?" Hope responded next to her ear.

"I'm apologize for everything I put you through," she said and Hope turned her around so she was facing him.

"Light, we've talked about this. It's okay. You had good intensions. You wanted to save Fang and Vanille. We all do." Hope placed his hand on her cheek and gently stroked it with his thumb.

"I know," Lightning began. "I just put everyone through so much. It was one of the things I struggled with. It hurt to think about those I left behind. I want to make it up to Serah, Sazh, Snow, and to you, Hope."

Hope wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her close to him. Her warm skin against his and the smell of her seemed so surreal to him. It was sometimes hard for him to believe that she was actually here with him.

"I failed in finding a way to save Fang and Vanille. I know that. I can't make up my failure to them, but I can at least do my best to make it up to everyone who is still here," Lighting said, her tone resolute.

Hope loosened his grip on her and looked her in the eyes. He could tell that she had a lot of pent up regret.

"Let's go home, Hope. Back to Serah and Snow and Sazh. I've been away for too long."

"We will soon. Let's finish our unfinished business here and head out," Hope said and gently kissed her cheek. Lightning looked away in embarrassment before looking back up at Hope. A second later, she boldly placed her lips against his.

Hope melted against her soft lips. He pulled her close to him once more and deepened the kiss. She opened her mouth to him and he greedily savored the taste of her. He knew very well that she could feel how aroused she was making him, but he didn't care. All he wanted was her.

She pulled away, breathing heavily. Her cheeks were flushed and lips were swollen. It made Hope want to kiss her again, but he resisted.

"We should probably get a head start on finishing that unfinished business. That and it might be better to get back before dinner so we can help out a bit.

While Hope was thoroughly enjoying their make out session, he had to agree.

"Good idea. I'll allow you to get out first, Miss. Farron," Hope said with a small bow and Lightning slapped him on the back of his head. Hope looked up and saw that she was smiling.

* * *

It has been a long time. Such a long time and I have no excuse. No excuse other than life got in the way. Both good and bad. The passing of my grandmother, the loss of my someone I considered to be my best friend, meeting a wonderful man and falling in love, and losing touch with people I once considered an invaluable part of my life (and League of Legends, who am I kidding).

As a senior in college, I wish I had more time. More time for everything at this point, really (Like playing video games and seeing my boyfriend). I'm currently taking all of the hardest classes in my major. Four out of five are taught entirely in my second language. While I don't want to offer excuses, I might as well let you all know where I've been and what has been going on.

From here on out, none of my chapters will be beta read. My old beta and I have drifted away. It truly pains me, but sometimes it's better just to someone go and let them be happy instead of clinging on to what there once was. We had a beautiful friendship and I'll always regard him as a friend. What we had is just not there anymore.

Ooooh. So melodramatic.

So look out in the future for tons of silly spelling and grammatical mistakes. They will occur. You will probably cringe. And I'll cringe with you.

Thank you to all of the support over the last year that I've been AWOL. While I can't predict the next time I update, hopefully it'll be sometime late December to early January. But no promises! A few kind words from new and old readers would probably inspire me to find the time to continue and bring this story to it's overdue end. A few more chapters, but I'd like nothing more than for them to be completed.

All of my love,  
Val


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